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Sitting here in the Pirate town of St. Petersburg Florida, typing this weeks mailer. Fitting for this “pirate” at heart. I hope this finds you well as we wind down March, also know as “The Peanut Month.” No this is true, I read it in the airplane magazine. They gave some great places to get a meal with peanut butter-all of which are no where near any of my travels.

In addition to winding down the month of March, and excited about OUR Buckeyes (yelling O-H?!?!?), NCAA, Baseball Starting, and Spring around the corner…I am missing someone. Well 2 people, but I will focus on one.

This week 4 years ago I lost my Grandmother. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t miss her. I could talk to her about anything-many times without saying a word. I just hung out in her (smoke filled) house. She allowed me to do things like eat meat on Fridays during Lent (with excuses like “St. Joseph Day,” and egg rolls can not have meat in them;) She also loaned me money to get a tattoo-and did not tell my parents. One thing many did not know is she gave me my first entrepreneurial experience.

I used to blockade her driveway and would not let her in until she gave me a quarter (today it would be 10 bucks!) Yep-she paid! She taught me to be persistent-she REALLY WANTED IN HER DRIVEWAY! So Grandma I miss ya. BUT through her caring made me the fat kid-always making sure I had a milkshake, a pizza, or 5 pounds of crab legs smothered in butter after school. She always tried. Many times it was not for the better.

While there were many school costume contests I won (she made my costumes), there was one time I had my 5 year class reunion; while she was hemming my pants-she dropped an ash from her cigarettes and they went up in flames (see kids don’t smoke it makes your clothes stink AND can ruin them). She was devastated-I was not real happy-but it destroyed her. She always wanted to do for me-and those she cared about, except quit smoking. I will not forgive her for that aspect of her life-but miss and continue to love her just the same!

This is why I try to do so much for heart, and cancer related organizations to help others who can be helped before it is too late!

So I am celebrating the end of Peanut Month, and am a PROUD DROID owner. It is smarter than I, and I apologize for any messages I lost/sent, calls I hung up/wrong dialed, and thank everyone for their patience with me and new technology.

I also will not give too much commentary on the recent house vote. I will let ALL AMERICANS make their own decisions-however to help you, I have listed below all those who voted for the Obama/Pelosi bill, and those who voted against it. IT IS TIME TO VOTE OUT ANYONE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ISLE WHO IS WORKING FOR SOMEONE ELSE OTHER THAN…”WE THE PEOPLE!”

Well off to bed as you ready this I am on a stage rockin the Honda Gran Prix of St. Pete’s! This “wanna be rock star” needs to get sleep to do what I love!While I want more and am constantly pushing for it-I feel blessed and honored for the experiences I am given. My Grandpa always says “It’s a once in a lifetime experience” I am lucky enough to have those every weekend.

GOOD LUCK TO MY ALMA MATERS THE NEWARK CATHOLIC BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM IN THE STATE TOURNEY, AND GO BUCKS!

POLITICS:
Acorn to Shut All Its Offices by April 1
By IAN URBINA

The community organizing group Acorn announced Monday that it would close all its remaining state affiliates and field offices by April 1

The organization is “developing a plan to resolve all outstanding debts, obligations and other issues,” said a statement released by the group.

Acorn has been battered by criticism from the right and has lost federal money and private donations since a video sting was publicized last fall. Acorn employees were shown in the videos advising two young conservative activists — posing as a pimp and a prostitute — how to conceal their criminal activities.

In reaction to the videos, the Census Bureau ended its partnership with the organization for this year’s census, the Internal Revenue Service dropped the group from its Voluntary Income Tax Assistance program, and Congress voted to cut off all grants to the organization.

In recent years, the group has also been dogged by mismanagement and criticism — mostly from conservatives — for its handling of voter registration drives.

Last month, the Brooklyn district attorney’s office completed an investigation of the Acorn employees there who appeared in the video and concluded that they had not taken part in any criminality.

“For Acorn as a national organization, our vindication on the facts doesn’t necessarily pay the bills,” Bertha Lewis, the chief executive of Acorn, said in a statement.

While the videos gave the impression that one of the two activists, James E. O’Keefe III, was dressed as a pimp when he entered the offices, later inspection seemed to indicate that he had manipulated that part of the footage and showed no evidence that he wore the costume when talking to Acorn workers.

The transcript of several stings, however, indicate that Mr. O’Keefe clearly presented himself as a pimp and that Acorn workers in some offices told him how to hide prostitution activities from the authorities.

HEALTH:
HANGOVER CURES:
Playboy’s One Day Detox Program For The Chronic Drunk In Us All
By John Buffalo Mailer

Ask what the best way to detox quickly from the bender of all benders is and you’ll get a wide variety of oddly authoritative opinions. The answers range from taking Suboxone (a drug that helps heroin addicts kick the habit) to drinking copious amounts of alkaline water to guzzling a quart of green juice with garlic and ginger to lengthy yoga sessions. After polling experts in the fields of nutrition and internal medicine, we designed the perfect one-day detox regimen.

Suppose you get back from three nights in Vegas, celebrating at your best friend’s bachelor party. It’s highly likely you mixed libations (liquor, caffeine, a case of Red Bull), assorted powders, the odd little blue pill and the fragrant vapors of various dried plant matter. Whatever your poison, you have to face facts: You have too much toxic sludge in your system and you now need to get it out. You convinced your boss to give you Thursday and Friday off, assuring him you would take the time to prepare for Monday’s presentation to those Chinese investors you’ve been courting for months. It’s Sunday morning when you get back to your apartment. Will the feeling of nausea ever go away? How do you get the edges of all the objects in your room to stop rippling? You’re in bad shape, no doubt about it. Here’s what you do.

1. Drink one eight-ounce glass of the most alkaline water you can get your hands on, at least once every hour. Fiji water has a pH of 7.5 and can be purchased in 24-packs at most major supermarkets.

2. Prepare your stomach by taking one Prilosec, an over-the-counter antacid, to prevent heartburn and nausea. Do not take aspirin, caffeine or any type of ibuprofen. Instead take 100 milligrams of Pycnogenol, a natural plant extract from the bark of the maritime pine tree. This acts as an anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet and anti­oxidant and, when combined with L-arginine, has the added benefit of increasing libido. You’ll never want aspirin again.

Blend until smooth, and down the entire beverage. All powder supplements for this green drink can be purchased from Essential Living Foods (essential livingfoods.com).

5. Go back to bed and do not attempt to reenter the world until at least 11:30 a.m. Set your alarm every hour so you can pound more water. (Keep a glass and a bottle of water at your bedside to minimize sleep interruption.)

5. Get up and urinate. Do not proceed to the next step until you do.

6. Go directly to the nearest Russian or Turkish spa and take a lengthy platza oak-leaf treatment (a form of therapy, dating back to ancient Greece, that involves the highest level of a three-tiered sauna, cold water poured over you periodically and a large man beating you with oak branches dipped in warm olive oil). The leaves contain a natural astringent that opens pores and releases toxins from your body. For more information go to russianandturkishbaths.com/Platza.html. If Russian masseurs are in short supply, go to a local spa, preferably one that follows the Hollywood notion that every story should have a happy ending. Take a 30-to-60-minute session in a low-temperature sauna (105° to 130°) and follow with a 90-minute deep-tissue massage.

7. Go home and shower with glycerin soap. Glycerin promotes the absorption of moisture, and your skin can absorb astoundingly more H2O than your digestive system.

8. For your first solid food of the day, eat three boiled eggs and two bananas. Eggs contain large quantities of cysteine, an amino acid that will break down the metabolism of bad substances you’ve ingested, while bananas will replenish all the potassium you’ve lost from peeing so much. For dessert, eat two slices of watermelon, which will bring your alkaline levels up, and go back to sleep until evening.

9. As night rolls in, make one bull shot. A typical recipe is as follows:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and pour over ice in a rocks glass.

10. Sit down in front of the television with your bull shot in hand and watch Lawrence of Arabia as a pick-me-up. The film’s slow pace and its sweeping shots of gorgeous desert scenery will fit in nicely with your relaxed attitude and quenched body cells, which had been begging for some hair of the dog that bit you. Also, the unbelievable suffering of those poor people will put in serious perspective whatever depressing thoughts you have about how your life has turned out.

11. Have one small bowl of spicy chili with cheese and whole-grain crackers. This will fill your stomach and help you sweat out the remaining toxins as you sleep.

12. Take an antioxidant consisting of large amounts of vitamins B6, B2 and C. (We recommend OPC-3.)

13. Drink one more eight-ounce glass of alkaline water and go to bed.

14. Drink one more tall glass of water when you get up to urinate in the middle of the night.

15. Wake up at a reasonable time and repeat step three to make another green antioxidant drink, followed by an eight-ounce glass of water. Pop another OPC-3 with a bit of green-tea extract and ginseng to stimulate your brain, then go to work and nail those Chinese!

HEALTH CARE:
Do you really think I would not chime in?

Here is a list of those who did/did not vote for The Obama Health care plan (unavailable-how many actually read it!). I have listed ALL who voted, for and against to help those throughout the country and the world who read this. Remember THESE PEOPLE COME NOVEMBER 2, 2010!

ALSO for your reading pleasure, here is what “CHANGE” gets you when you elect key words instead of proven leadership!

Tea Partiers to Congressional Democrats: You’ll Pay in November
FOXNews.com

Tea Party leaders, livid over the passage of health care reform on Sunday night, say their next step will be to run the people who voted for it out of Congress.

It’s payback time.

Tea Party leaders, livid over the passage of health care reform on Sunday night, say their next step will be to turn from fighting the bill to running the people who voted for it out of Congress.

The bill’s narrow passage was inarguably a victory for President Obama and a blow to those who opposed it. Though Tea Partiers joined with Republican officials to rally in Washington and across the country against the package up until judgment day, Democrats were able to assuage skeptical lawmakers and muster the votes needed to send the sweeping overhaul of the nation’s health care system to the president’s desk.

Now those lawmakers have to go, Tea Partiers say, and they’re planning to sustain their fight into November by registering voters, pumping money into ad campaigns against Democratic incumbents and supporting their challengers.

Some want to elect lawmakers with the ultimate goal of repealing the bill; but with repeal a heavy lift, at the minimum the groups are out for vengeance.

And while the Sunday vote was a defeat for the cause, it was potentially a boon for membership.

“I am deluged with phone calls this morning (from) people wanting to join the Tea Party,” said Gina Loudon, a founder of the St. Louis Tea Party, which campaigned against the bill during Obama’s stop there two weeks ago. “I literally cannot even return the phone calls quickly enough. … This has absolutely awoken a giant.”

Loudon said she and other activists — who met up at a pub in downtown St. Louis Sunday night to mourn the passage of the bill — are already drafting a game plan for the months ahead. She said getting involved in congressional campaigns will be a big part of that.

Expect Tea Party political action committees (PACs), to gain a lot more prominence in the months ahead. Loudon said the Ensuring Liberty PAC, the political group announced last month at the Tea Party Convention in Nashville, is going to be raising money and influencing targeted races — her husband is a board member of that group.

Debbie Dooley, co-founder of the Atlanta Tea Party and a national coordinator of Tea Party Patriots, agreed that the focus will be on voting out health care reform bill supporters.

“Yesterday, they chose not to listen to what the people want,” she said. “We, the people, will have our say in November.”

She said lawmakers like Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich. — who had been a holdout against health care reform over abortion funding concerns but who switched to a yes vote after striking an agreement with the White House — are top targets. She said Tea Party groups plan to continue holding rallies and showing up at lawmakers’ town hall meetings and congressional offices to protest the bill.

“This health care vote was not the end. It is just the beginning of the fight,” she said.

The House on Sunday passed the Senate-approved health care bill along with a package of changes that House Democrats want the Senate to approve next. The bill is being considered under reconciliation rules, which would allow Democrats to pass it with just 51 votes, as opposed to the 60 that would otherwise be needed to avoid a filibuster.

Dooley said Tea Party groups will do what they can to fight the reconciliation bill as well — not out of any particular objection to its contents but out of concern about the reconciliation process and a desire to hold House members accountable for the vote on the Senate bill.

They argue that preventing the reconciliation bill from passing could make some House Democrats even more vulnerable in November.

“We want to make this election a referendum on the bill,” said Brendan Steinhauser, director of federal and state campaigns for FreedomWorks, the conservative organization that’s closely aligned with Tea Party groups across the country.

Tea Party Express, a separate group of conservative activists, is also planning to kick off a nationwide tour Saturday in Searchlight, Nev.

Levi Russell, spokesman for the group, said the tour will focus on health care and on highlighting the “worst offenders” in bringing the bill over the finish line. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will be the top target at the Tea Party Express kickoff, which former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is expected to attend.

Though health care reform may continue to be the overriding issue for Tea Party groups in the months to come, the activists say they’re ready to divide their attention among whatever issues Obama chooses to pursue — immigration reform or cap-and-trade or something else.

“We are as passionate about those as we are about health care,” Loudon said.

HEALTH:
Physical
It is Spring In Columbus! The running and walking paths are free of snow and are full of runners and walkers preparing for the Capital City Half Marathon and Commit to Be Fit 5k.

If you are receiving this newsletter it is because you are already registered for the 2010 Capital City Half Marathon and Commit to Be Fit 5k or we think you might be interested in joining 10,000 of your closest friends for a 13.1 or 3.1 mile block party.

Call it Momentum, a Tipping Point or just being ahead of the curve a bit, Columbus has exploded with positive energy and embraced the healthy active lifestyle. Everywhere I go, everywhere I speak and at every event M3S Sports produces, it seems everyone is training to participate in the 2010 Capital City Half Marathon or Commit to Be Fit 5k. Thanks to 10 TV’s Andrea Cambern, Mayor Coleman, the City of Columbus Police Department, the remarkable support from our partners and the community we will soon reach our registration limit of 10,000 participants.

Our team has been working hard to create a remarkable celebration for you. We have moved the start and finish line over to Spring Street in front of McPherson Commons, added Dj’s as “live milemarkers”, included Tweet My Time as our race tracking software and developed the Michelob Ultra post race party. Donatos Pizza and 10TV have been joined by an incredible number of new “best of breed” partners like Ohio Health, Nationwide Insurance, Cotters, The Diamond Cellar, Michelob Ultra, Skyy Vodka, Power Aid, The Columbus Clippers, The Columbus Blue Jackets and Muscle Milk.

This is YOUR event and your new Facebook Fan page has been up for only a month and the event already has over 1200 fans. Come post your questions, comments and training photos.

Our field is already over 65% sold out and registration fees increase on April 1. Be part of the Celebration and Register Now!

ALSO:
I would like to point out I have lost A BUNCH OF WEIGHT since February 20th. I have put on a little weight with some of my events, but still weighing in at just under 180 pounds. My runs are getting longer (and pace is increasing). Recently I ran a 6 minute mile! I am continuing to lean out and have not lost much of my size, and NONE OF MY STRENGTH! While I am being conscious of what I eat, I basically eat whatever I want. MY SECRET? Products from Visalus! To learn more on how you can get your weight under control, lose weight, and JUST BE HEALTHIER, plus have the chance to make an extra income…www.sexton.bodybyvi.com Or http://www.sexton.visalusgiving.com

JOBS:
.7 Things Never to Say to Your Boss
Karen Burns

Everyone has a boss. Even if you “work for yourself,” you’re still an employee to your client.

A big part of maintaining the boss-employee relationship is to never allow a boss to think you dislike your work, are incapable of doing it, or–worse–consider it beneath you.

These sound like no-brainers, but many statements heard commonly around the workplace violate these basic rules. Looking for an example? Here are seven heard in workplaces all the time. They may seem ordinary, even harmless. But try reading these from your boss’s point of view. You’ll see right away why it’s smart to never allow these seven sentences to pass your lips:

“That’s not my job.” You know what? A lot of bosses are simple souls who think your job is to do what’s asked of you. So even if you’re assigned a task that is, indeed, not your job, refrain from saying so. Instead, try to find out why your boss is assigning you this task–there may be a valid reason. If you believe that doing the task is a bad idea (as in, bad for the company) you can try explaining why and suggesting how it could be better done by someone else. This may work, depending on the boss. In any case, remember that doing what’s asked of you, even tasks outside your job description, is good karma.

“It’s not my problem.” When people say something is not their problem it makes them look like they don’t care. This does not endear them to anybody, especially the boss. If a problem is brewing and you have nothing constructive to say, it’s better to say nothing at all. Even better is to pitch in and try to help. Because, ultimately, a problem in the workplace is everyone’s problem. We’re all in it together.

“It’s not my fault.” Yet another four words to be avoided. Human nature is weird. Claiming that something is not our fault often has the result of making people suspect it is. Besides, what’s the real issue here? It’s that something went wrong and needs to be fixed. That’s what people should be thinking about–not who is to blame.

“I can only do one thing at a time.” News flash: Complaining you are overworked will not make your boss feel sorry for you or go easier on you. Instead, a boss will think: (1) you resent your job, and/or (2) you aren’t up to your job. Everybody, especially nowadays, feels pressured and overworked. If you’re trying to be funny, please note that some sarcasm is funny and lightens the mood. Some just ticks people off.

“I am way overqualified for this job.” Hey, maybe you are. But the fact is, this is the job you have. You agreed to take it on and, while you may now regret that decision, it’s still your job. Complaining that it’s beneath you only makes you look bad. Plus, coworkers doing similar jobs may resent and dislike you. And guess what? Bosses will not think, “Oh, this is a superior person whom I need to promote.” Nope, they’ll think, “What a jerk.”

“This job is easy! Anyone could do it!” Maybe what you’re trying to convey here is that you’re so brilliant your work is easy. Unfortunately, it comes off sounding more like, “This work is stupid.” Bosses don’t like hearing that any work is stupid. Nor do they really like hearing that a job is easy peasy. It belittles the whole enterprise. If a task is simple, be glad and do it as quickly as you can. Even “stupid” work needs to get done.

“It can’t be done.” Saying something can’t be done is like waving a red flag in a boss’s eyes. Even if the thing being suggested truly is impossible, saying it is can make you look ineffectual or incapable. Better to play detective. Why is the boss asking you to do whatever it is? What’s the problem that needs to be solved? What’s the goal? Search for doable ways of solving that problem or reaching that goal. That’s what bosses really want. Most of them do not expect the impossible.

Last words: When in doubt, remember that silence really is golden.

BUISNESS:
I have a few more openings left to handle your company/business social networking. This is a unique and inexpensive chance to brand your services, and reach beyond your current clientele list. For more info, or a list of current ecstatic customers e-mail sosaudio@yahoo.com

SPORTS:It is “OUR,” “NATIONAL” Pastime!
Mennonite baseball team plays school’s first national anthem

Can you imagine a baseball game starting without the playing of the national anthem?

Yeah, me neither.

But for 53 seasons, that’s exactly what happened — or didn’t happen, rather — before games played at Goshen College. Then came Tuesday afternoon when the song was played at the small Mennonite school in Indiana for the first time.

I wasn’t really aware of this, but the Mennonites have traditionally held a complicated relationship with the national anthem, partly based on the faith’s belief that the song glorifies war and partly based on its belief that citizenship with God comes before their citizenship with any nation.

There is no blanket policy for Mennonite schools when it comes to the anthem, but it had not been played in the 116-year history of Goshen College. The school received 400 complaint letters last season when a radio show talked about the anthem not being played before a basketball game and school administrators ultimately decided on a one-year trial period of the song to foster a more welcoming atmosphere for visitors.

That led to a controversial first playing on Tuesday as Goshen prepared to faceoff against Siena Heights, a small Catholic school from Michigan.

From the Indianapolis Star:

“Tiny wooden grandstands were packed with more than 100 fans, a mix of students and adults. Most of them stood during the playing of the anthem — about a dozen remained seated and at least one booed during the song.

“Some students painted American flags on their chest while three members of an off-campus group came dressed in black with black crosses painted on their forehead.

“‘This is a sign of mourning,’ Nekeisha Alexis-Baker said about the cross.”

School president Jim Brenneman told reporters Tuesday that one of his school’s goals is to address the “complex issues” that Mennonites face with “academic rigor and civility.”

That should be the goal of any higher education outlet, so kudos to Brenneman for keeping that in the forefront as his school explores its beliefs and values.

And a big BLS head nod for introducing the song in the most normal, natural and American way possible. Once again, baseball shows itself to be one of society’s great uniters.

PASSING:
He passed a few years ago-but we all can still learn from Mr. Rogers.

Since 1968, when Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood made its national public television debut, Fred Rogers began each episode with his simple signature question in song: “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

For the past two years, the nation joined together to answer that question with a resounding “Yes!” as news anchors, librarians, students and CEO’s alike donned their favorite sweaters on March 20, in honor of Fred Rogers’ birthday. Once again we’re asking people to wear a sweater to celebrate the day.

“It started simply enough,“ explains Margy Whitmer of Family Communications, Inc. (FCI is the nonprofit company founded in 1971 by Fred Rogers.) “We wanted to recognize Fred in a way that would reflect his deep appreciation of what it means to be a caring neighbor.”

As in previous years, a number of organizations, particularly cultural institutions and local libraries in Pittsburgh and Southwestern PA, will be participating by hosting activities to celebrate what it means to be a neighbor.

This year we’re happy to announce a new partnership with United Way of Allegheny County. We’ll be expanding our focus to make it an annual event to promote volunteerism – a natural extension of Fred Rogers’ legacy of neighborliness. Through this partnership, people will be encouraged to make a commitment to volunteer on a regular basis, not just for this one-day event.

The United Way will match corporate volunteers with agencies so that on Friday, March 19 volunteers will report to their selected agencies and learn more about their options, do some hands-on work, and hopefully make a commitment to help on an on-going basis. This is also a day for agencies to honor their dedicated volunteers.

Agencies looking for volunteers can take advantage of United Way seminars focusing on ways to make volunteering a welcoming experience and to encourage an on-going commitment. Dates and times will be announced in February.

We’re also working with local cultural institutions and libraries to once again create family-friendly events. In past years the Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County libraries and those in surrounding areas offered special events and collected food, sweaters or diapers for their communities. Free or reduced admissions have been offered by local cultural institutions like the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, the National Aviary, the Mattress Factory, the Westmoreland County Museum of American Art, the Carnegie Museums, the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, the Heinz History Center, and the Frick Museum of Art. Events will be posted on the VisitPittsburgh website (www.visitpittsburgh.com) late-February or early March.

“What’s been so encouraging,” Whitmer says, “is the continued enthusiastic response from people all over the country. We’re hoping that people will connect with their neighbors in caring ways and that it will become an annual national day of commitment to community service.”

New Christy Minstrels play the Historic Midland Theatre (they have been around for over forty seven years-makes me question, how “new” can they be?). For more info http://www.midlandtheatre.org

My Boyz, LoveSick Radio ROX Captain Jacks

SATURDAY:

Seven Mary Three is at Captain Jacks (must purchase tixx ahead of doors either at venue or by phone 740-281-0700)

FUNNIES:
ALL WEEKEND:
Drew Hastings, plays The Funny Bone at Easton Town Center

MORE TO DO:
SATURDAY:
Happy B-Day Beco! Beco’s First Birthday Bash at The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. For more info http://www.columbuszoo.org

CAPA Presents: Playhouse Disney Live! At The Palace Theatre. The lovable rodent and all his friends will be live onstage! For more info http://www.capa.com

ALL WEEKEND:

(Is WCLT’s Curtis Newland) really hangin’ with the Clowns at The Aladdin Temple Shrine Circus? Check it out for yourself at The Ohio State Fairgrounds! Highwire acts, clowns (Curtis?), and all your favorite animals-just bring me back some cotton candy! For more info http://www.aladdinshrine.com/circus.htm

The World Famous Pepper Dog had an invite to The Columbus Pet Expo, at Columbus Vets Memorial, but her dad had to go out of town to Florida (I AM WORKING! Someone has to feed her). This is the LARGEST Pet Show in Ohio. For more info http://www.columbuspetexpo.com

IN THEATERS:

John Cusack stars in ‘Hot Tub Time Machine,’ rated “R.” If you don’t like low brow humor, cheap gags, and dis-tasteful comedy, this is not your movie. I thought it was hilarious!

The family friendly, ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ staring the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrara, and Craig Ferguson is rated “PG.” This animated, action adventure, teaches us all to not judge others-it is also funny!

DVD:

One of my top 10 of 2009, ‘The Blind Side,’ rated “PG-13.” Oscar winner Sandra Bullock stars in the true story of a young lineman who goes from homeless High School Student to the first pick in the NFL draft. This is a GREAT movie for anyone-you don’t even need to be a sports fan.

ON THE MUSIC SHELVES:

Fresh out of prison, Mindy McCready releases ‘I’m Still Here’ (think she will sing this when she goes back?)
American Idol finalist (should’ve won!) Justin Bieber releases ‘My World 2.0′

OSU Spring Game Tailgate at Across The Field (Olentangy and Ackerman) April 24th. Details coming soon

MAY 1 join me, and 15 of the “Best motivational DJ’s” in OHIO at The Columbus Half Marathon (web link above)
The Lima Company Going Away Party has been rescheduled to May 5th (Cinco DeMayo) This is due to scheduling conflicts within the Unit. Event is STILL SCHEDULED AT FROG BEAR WILD BOAR BAR!

This is being sent early so I can give some history and my own insight on one of the BEST DAYS OF THE YEAR-Saint Patrick’s Day! The Other two being The Fourth of July and Halloween. Plus to give a heads up on some great places to play on the day is The Isle!

FIRST OFF if you feel the need to abbreviate, DO NOT CALL IT ST. PATTY’S DAY-The day of tradition and history is about the Celtic Isle…NOT HAMBURGERS! If you MUST abbreviate it is St. Paddy Day!

SECOND DO NOT WEAR ORANGE!!! The IRISH Flag is Green, White, and Orange. Green for The Irish Catholics (who have had their land stolen and lived under English Protestant Rule), Orange for The English Protestants, and White for Peace between the two-there will be NO PEACE until the land is returned!

I will be at Fado at Easton all day on Wednesday in my Kilt. I will be sharing the Stage with Blood, Sweat, and Beers, Mother Trucker Acoustic, Homeland (one of my new favorites), Soul KitcHen, The Websters, and SWAGG (my BOYZ)! Doors open at 7pm (you probably are reading this after that-YOU ARE LATE for Kegs and Eggs!!!

SLAINTE-
Sláinte is commonly used as a drinking toast in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, literally translating as “health.”

Variations of this toast exist, it can for example be expanded to sláinte mhaith “good health” in Irish (mhaith being the lenited form of maith “good”).

The Scottish Gaelic equivalant is slàinte (mhath) (same meaning) to which the normal response is do dheagh shlàinte “your good health”.[4] Slàinte mhòr is a Gaelic variant meaning “great health”. It is also used as a Jacobite toast as an alternative meaning is “health to Marion”, Marion (Gaelic Mòr) being a Jacobite code name for Prince Charles Edward Stuart.[5]

The Manx Gaelic form is slaynt (vie).[6] Alternatively, corp slaynt “healthy body” is also used in Manx.[3]

The toast is mispronounced by non-native speakers in various ways, most commonly with excessive voicing as IPA: [zlaːnʒ].

THOUGHTS ON St. PADDY DAY:

Pog Moi Thoin!
It’s more than green beer and kisses! By the way real Irish Beer is BLACK and THICK, not metallic tasting Miller Light.

Customs and Traditions
The person who was become St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Wales about AD 385. His given name was Maewyn, and he almost didn’t get the job of bishop of Ireland because he lacked the required scholarship.

Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. At that age, he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. During his captivity, he became closer to God.
He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training he became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity.

His wishes were to return to Ireland, to convert the native pagans to Christianity. But his superiors instead appointed St. Palladius. But two years later, Palladius transferred to Scotland. Patrick, having adopted that Christian name earlier, was then appointed as second bishop to Ireland.

Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity.

His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. After that time, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day ever since.

Much Irish folklore surrounds St. Patrick’s Day. Not much of it is actually substantiated.

Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from the dead. He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans. Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday.

One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

The St. Patrick’s Day custom came to America in 1737. That was the first year St. Patrick’s Day was publicly celebrated in this country, in Boston.
Today, people celebrate the day with parades, wearing of the green, and drinking beer. One reason St. Patrick’s Day might have become so popular is that it takes place just a few days before the first day of spring. One might say it has become the first green of spring.

IRISH TOASTS
Irish Drinking Toasts
May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven
half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.

Here’s to me, and here’s to you,
And here’s to love and laughter-
I’ll be true as long as you,
And not one moment after.

Here’s to you and yours
And to mine and ours.
And if mine and ours
Ever come across to you and yours,
I hope you and yours will do
As much for mine and ours
As mine and ours have done
For you and yours!

Health and life to you;
The mate of your choice to you;
Land without rent to you,
And death in Eirinn.

Here’s a toast to your enemies’ enemies!
When we drink, we get drunk.
When we get drunk, we fall asleep.
When we fall asleep, we commit no sin.
When we commit no sin, we go to heaven.
So, let’s all get drunk, and go to heaven!

Here’s to a long life and a merry one.
A quick death and an easy one.
A pretty girl and an honest one.
A cold beer—and another one!
Here’s to our wives and girlfriends:
May they never meet!

IRISH BLESSINGS:
May the road rise to meet you.
may the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

May you live as long as you want,
And never want as long as you live.

Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.
But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.

Always remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.
But never forget to remember
Those that have stuck by you.

Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.
But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.

May the saddest day of your future be no worse
Than the happiest day of your past.

May the roof above us never fall in.
And may the friends gathered below it never fall out.

May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night, And the road downhill all the way to your door.

May there be a generation of children
On the children of your children.

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,
May good luck pursue you each morning and night.

Walls for the wind,
And a roof for the rain,
And drinks beside the fire –
Laughter to cheer you
And those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire!

May God be with you and bless you,
May you see your children’s children,
May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

May God grant you many years to live,
For sure He must be knowing
The earth has angels all too few
And heaven is overflowing.

May peace and plenty be the first
To lift the latch to your door,
And happiness be guided to your home
By the candle of Christmas.

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

IRISH FUNNIES:
Into a Belfast pub comes Paddy Murphy, looking like he’d just been run over by a train. His arm is in a sling, his nose is broken, his face is cut and bruised and he’s walking with a limp. “What happened to you?” asks Sean, the bartender. “Jamie O’Conner and me had a fight,” says Paddy. “That little snit, O’Conner,” says Sean, “he couldn’t do that to you. He must have had something in his hand.” “That he did,” says Paddy, “a shovel is what he had and a terrible lickin’ he gave me with it.” “Well,” says Sean, “you should have defended yourself. Didn’t you have something in your hand?” “That I did,” said Paddy. “Mrs. O’Conner’s breast, and a thing of beauty it was, but useless in a fight,”
===============================================
An Irishman who had a little too much to drink is driving home from the city one night and, of course, his car is weaving violently all over the road. A cop pulls him over. “So,” says the cop to the driver, “where have ya been?” “Why, I’ve been to the pub of course,” slurs the drunk. “Well,” says the cop, “it looks like you’ve had quite a few
to drink this evening.” “I did all right,” the drunk says with a smile. “Did you know,” says the cop, standing straight and folding his arms across his chest, “that a few intersections back, your wife fell
out of your car?” “Oh, thank heavens,” sighs the drunk. “For a minute there, I thought I’d gone deaf,”

=========================================
Brenda O’Malley is home making dinner, as usual, when Tim Finnegan arrives at her door. “Brenda, may I come in?” he asks. “I’ve somethin’to tell ya.”
“Of course you can come in, you’re always welcome, Tim. But where’s my husband?”
“That’s what I’m here to be tellin’ ya, Brenda. There was an accident down at the Guinness brewery…”
“Oh, God no!” cries Brenda. “Please don’t tell me.”
“I must, Brenda. Your husband Shamus is dead and gone. I’m sorry.” Finally, she looked up at Tim. “How did it happen, Tim?” “It was terrible, Brenda. He fell into a vat of Guinness Stout and drowned.”
“Oh my dear Jesus! But you must tell me true, Tim. Did he at least go quickly?”
“Well, no Brenda… no. Fact is, he got out three times to pee.”

The Priest coughs a few times to get his attention but Ole Mulvihill just sits there.

Finally, the Priest pounds three times on the wall.

The drunk mumbles, “ain’t no use knockin, there’s no paper on this side either.”

TOP 10
Reasons for St. Paddy’s day Party
10.) It is a Weds
09.) You can get a kiss for actually lying (Kiss me I’m Irish)
08.) Most of the Kennedy’s are dead (did he really just say that?)
07.) Pi**ing Green the next day
06.) Drinking at 6AM!!! On a NON OSU FOOTBALL GAME DAY!
05.) Half way to Halloween
04.) A day to pi** off the Italian Catholics (How many people lie and say “I’m Italian” on Columbus Day?)
03.) The stories of forgiveness overheard in the bathroom stalls
02.) Taking home an ugly person just because he/she has red hair.
01.) You can be short, mean, drunk, and wear a dress and be considered cool (Ahh yes!)

LIMERICKS:

There once was a man from Nantucket,
Who kept all of his cash in a bucket,
But his daughter, named Nan,
Ran away with a man,
And as for the bucket, Nantookit.

There once was a teacher named Gray
Who said to her students one day,
“Now, you have until one,
to get a limerick done.”
The class groaned the hour away!

A nudist by the name of Roger Peet
Loved to dance in the snow and the sleet,
But one chilly December
He froze every member,
And retired to a monkish retreat.

There was a young lady named Sharkey
Who had an affair with a darkey.
The result of her sins
Was quadruplets, not twins,
One white, and one black, and two khaki.

A love-sick young barn-owl in Kew
Had a pretty young she-owl in view.
He twittered, “I oughter
Endeavor to court ‘er
But I don’t have enough wit to woo!”

There was a young man who said, “Why
Can’t I look in my ear with my eye?
I think that I might
If I stretch very tight
You never can tell ’til you try!”

There was a young fellow named Fisher
Who was fishing for fish in a fissure,
When a cod, with a grin,
Pulled the fisherman in
Now they’re fishing the fissure for Fisher.

MOVIES TO RAISE A TOAST TO:
1.) Boondock Saints (any doubt?)
Very intelligent action movie, about two Irish brothers who kill ’sinners’ to punish them. The movie is a bit different from the typical action movie, as it doesn’t have car-chases or explosions. The action consists of stylish shooting sprees. It also has a fairly original idea that is utilized in nearly every action scene in the movie, and that should be used more often in action films; first you see the aftermath, the crime-scene, the police investigating, counting bodies, etc. After/as the police come up with theories to the crime, we see the actual scene, of the brothers punishing criminals. It’s a different kind of vigilante movie. It’s particularly gory and bloody, but this just makes it all the more realistic. In real life, there is a significant amount of blood when someone is shot in the head. The movie has some Christian subtexts, I think I’ve heard about five major theories about the whole movie’s meaning. This shows, in my opinion, that there was obviously a lot of thought put into the movie. I’d recommend it to anyone who can stand the gore, even if they aren’t Christians.

2.) The Black Donnellys (ok a TV show but wow, was it a good one-why cancelled?) If I grew up in Brookland I would be Tommy Donnelly!!!
I don’t know what the problem is with this show.. that everyone seems to hate it, but I watched it, and I thought that it was very very good. The dialogue was good, the premise was dark, and of course, unbelievable. But seriously, what are the hit shows on today… Heroes? Lost? Desperate Housewives?, doesn’t TV thrive on the unbelievable? I mean, why else would we watch something that could be going on next door? Its just not that interesting.

3.) RUDY (I had to put this one on)
If this movie doesn’t get you motivated, then something is wrong with you. This movie proves that good things happen to people who work hard and don’t except the circumstances they are dealt. I’ve seen this movie more than 30 times in my life, and i still cant get through the end of this movie without getting tears in my eyes. Another thing this movie teaches you is to listen to the people in your life who believe in you and want you to succeed, don’t listen to the people who want you to fail and constantly remind you that your going to fail. “The best revenge is success.” One of my favorite quotes comes from this movie as well, when the coach dan devine tells Rudy and the rest of the team that “Nobody, and I mean nobody, comes into our house and pushes us around.”

4.) Gangs of New York (and I HATE Leo-but it is so good!)
Based on the New York Draft Riots that did happen, just two weeks AFTER the Northern victory at Gettysburg, demonstrating that the outcome of the War was anything but certain, even after Lee had been forced to retreat to the south bank of the Potomac River. Today, many would find this surprising.

Day-Lewis does a superb job with a character that is unevenly developed. He is a homicidal thug in the beginning, a menacing, but somewhat benign, presence in the middle, and a psychotic killer in the end. It isn’t really clear why he vacillates the way he does. Bi-polar, I guess. DiCaprio proves he can act, and he exudes a manliness he did not possess in earlier films. Diaz turns in a creditable performance. The cast of thousands adds a nice touch to the film.

Kudos to Scorsese for the herculean effort, and a tip of the kepi for the poetic ending, which reminded me of the ending in 1936’s “San Francisco.”

5.) U2 Rattle and Hum (for the record I don’t like Bono either)
“this is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles and we’re stealing it back!”

When U2 arrives in the fall 1987 to start the second leg of their American tour to promote “The Joshua Tree” (1987), they already filled with enthusiasm millions of Americans with their masterpiece and they were showered with praise by virtually all musical critics but also important newspapers (the magazine Newsweek even put them on the cover!). The amount? Bono and his band were crowned the biggest rock and roll band in the world. A status which isn’t easy to assume and when one has a rock and roll masterpiece under one’s belt, delivering it a follow-up is a difficult task. Maybe that’s why the most famous Irish quartet had the idea to make a film accompanied by an album: to try to forge ahead and to take a new musical direction.

So, “U2: Rattle and Hum” (1988) is a documentary which goes back over the band’s tour in America where they alternate concerts and cultural discoveries (the visit of Graceland). Their album “the Joshua Tree” had already expressed their fascination for America, the movie “Rattle and Hum” confirms it. The director Phil Joanou (Martin Scorsese turned down this role) also filled his work with interviews and recording sessions which took place after the tour in 1988. Each member’s disposition is revealed in these interviews but also throughout the movie and during their tour especially with concerts. So, in Joanou’s opus, Bono and his men reaffirm their positions on a social, cultural and above all musical point of view while not forgetting their Irish roots. Concerning music which constitutes the backbone of the movie, the band explores several facets of American music. The Stax-soul tribute “Angel of Harlem”, the blues “When Love Comes to Town” with a
prestigious guest: BB King, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” in a gospel version show a progressive Americanization of the band. But in parallel, not to lose their identity, the four members remain faithful to their musical influences; either it is the sinewy “Desire” or the atmospheric “Heartland” that sounds like a “the Joshua Tree” outtake. Hence an impression of hodgepodge: the tracks cut in studio are rather badly linked up. It is difficult to let oneself rock with beautiful heavenly flights then to follow with unusual tracks for the band without losing the thread.

That said, the musical trimmings that somewhat hinders the movie didn’t stop Bono and his men to write some of U2’s best songs. On another extent, Phil Joanou’s technical feats enable the spectator to attend the concerts as if he were on stage with the band. The latter is presented in this state like we would imagine them for the ones who have never seen them in concert: fiery, feverish, passionated by their music and ready to make a declaration aiming at peace in Northern Ireland and why not in the rest of the world (Bono’s words in the middle of Sunday Bloody Sunday”). And I address the fans of the band who may have the album but not seen the movie and the casual listeners: a good part of U2’s hits of the eighties and notably from “the Joshua Tree” are performed on stage: “Bad”, “Where the Streets Have No Name”, “With or Without You”.

I also think that having shot the movie in black and white and in color gives it a arty side. At the end of the day, it’s a worthy but suicidal undertaking. Indeed, the limited commercial career of Joanou’s opus clearly shows once again that this kind of film is seldom successful in the theaters in spite of the fact that the video was a best-seller in the Anglo-Saxon countries. And for U2, the eighties ended in a little rough way but fortunately, the nineties will begin (and for me end) triumphantly with “Achtung Baby” (1991).

6.) The Devil’s Own (great deep movie)
An American movie starring two American actors (Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt) about sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland. Not surprisingly, critics and historians (not to mention Ford and Pitt, eventually) decried the film for its “history lite” approach. Those looking for a more accurate take on Irish history should check out Michael Collins or In the Name of the Father.

7.) The Boxer
This is a great film and I’ve watched it several times. The photography is stunning. The musical score is brilliant. The characters are believable and endearing. The film does not take sides except to say “Enough!” Enough bloodshed. Enough hatred. Enough poverty. Northern Ireland has had enough.
Daniel Day Lewis and Emily Watson give stellar performances. I saw Emily Watson in “Breaking the Waves” which I did not understand at all, but I did recognize a fine actress. I’ve seen all of Daniel Day Lewis’ films–even his early releases. This is one of my favorite DDL films–a difficult choice as he has made so many excellent films. The supporting cast is composed of first class actors. The scenes are terribly realistic. I still jump when a bomb explodes early in the movie, and the boxing scenes are fabulous. (In the fifties I was a fan of Carmine Basilio, so I know what the real thing looks like.)

The contrast of stark, war-torn Belfast with tenacious individuals attempting to lead relatively normal lives–marrying, having children, teaching day-school, mopping floors, is heart-rending. Who wouldn’t root for peace?

Those who have taken one side or the other in this awful conflict might not appreciate the neutrality of the film. That is the whole point. Most of the Irish are fed up and want to get on with their lives. I thought the coincidence of the film release with the current peace process effort was grand.

8.) In the Name of the Father (very good and twists from start to finish)
This movie is based on a true story that began in 1974 when an IRA bomb exploded in England, killing several people. Soon Gerry Conlon, a petty thief from Belfast, was convicted of the bombing. Several of Conlon’s friends and relatives, including his father, were also jailed. But after languishing behind bars for 14 years, Conlon and his father were completely exonerated and released. The tale of the miscarriage of justice is well-told in this movie, but I think the best thing about the film is the nuanced way the relationship between son and father is developed during their years in prison.

9.) The Departed (what is it with Leo on this list?)
Excellent. A great, great movie. Even though Boston is not really a gritty town Scorsese was able to capture a darker side of the city. Local Bosoton pros like Damon and Wahlberg they were able to really grab hold of it and not go overboard… most of the time. The true stand out performance has to go to DiCaprio. He has really come into his since hooking up with Scorsese, having scored a number of original performances all of which have expanded his range. He really snagged onto a deep and tragic character and created something that will hopefully be recognized come awards season. One of my favorite aspects was the friendly hostility the characters had for each other. It is a specific trademark that I have never noticed in any other city. In Boston, when you are really close with someone (or not really) it is, more or less, a requirement to bust their balls and shoot cruel insults back and forth in rhythmic banter. That detail was extensively realized
in THE DEPARTED and I doubt anybody who was raised outside of the metro Boston area, or at least visited at some point, would find it nearly as hilarious as those who were. As for Scorsese’s direction, I think he scored big with this one. While many have criticized that his movies have become more commercial I believe that he has just evolved. There were some classic Scorsese moments here, my favorite being a scene where DiCaprio is alone and packing his things in his apartment. Beautifully cut and stylistically directed. Is it his best effort? No. But it still is truly mesmerizing. He has created something truly special from a city that is highly underrated.

10.) The Commitments (I play this soundtrack at EVERY GIG!)
A group of working-class young men from the poorest district of North Dublin form a band that plays soul music. The film follows the ups and downs of the band as they go from gig to gig, performing their own version of numbers like “Mustang Sally” and “Try a Little Tenderness.” There’s not much plot here, but I found the dialogue, the characters, the energy, and the music irresistible.

MUSIC:
Top 10 Songs for St. Paddy Day
1.) Amazing Grace-Originally written by a former Slave trader who’s boat almost sank-this is a great tune of forgiveness even when not warranted. I especially enjoy when played on the Bag-Pipes. For the sake of a St. Paddy Mixtape, I will suggest the version from The DropKick Murphys!

2.) Baba O’Reilly-This is one of my all time favorite songs. One line sums it up “Out here in the fields I fought for my meals…I put my back into my living!

3.) Danny Boy-So sad

4.) Sunday Bloody Sunday-Written about that faithful day in Dublin, Ireland-for the record, I don’t have a problem with it-No land=’s no peace! I support the resistance!

5.) Jump Around Fun rap song WITH BAGPIPES!!!

6.) Big Country-if you don’t bob yer head to this you have no rhythm OR SOUL!

7.) The Scotsman-I will be in my kilt, and maybe “won first prize!”

8.) What’s Left of The Flag-The only thing I care about is the Green and white!

9.)The Last Letter Home-Saddest song ever about a man who stumbles onto a gravestone and asks about the history of the person

10.) Kiss Me I’m #*%@faced-Sing along late in the day!!!

How To Have A Successful Paddy’s Day.
Here is a short and simple guide about the best way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day:

1. Do not call it St. Patty’s Day. Cannot stress this one enough. I am not entirely sure where Patty’s Day came from; patron Saint of burgers maybe. Anyway if you must shorten it, it is Paddy’s Day.

2. Prepare yourself ahead of time. Chances are you will be covering yourself in as much green, white and orange as physically possible. (IN MY OPINION WHERE NO ORANGE-AND IF YOU WEAR PRIMARILY ORANGE BE REPAIRED TO HAVE YOUR A** KICKED!!! Orange is the color or the English Protestants who STOLE OUR LAND!) Make sure you have your outfit all ready to go in advance of the big day. Sometimes outdoor festivals with copious amounts of drinking can lead to accessories being stolen. So make sure to bring back ups. A back up hat and back up pair of sunglasses are a necessity.

3. Line your stomach. It is a big drinking day for most people. Please make sure that your stomach is well prepared for all that alcohol. Eat a big Irish breakfast. Then fill up again at lunch time. This will give plenty of soakage and help keep you going as long as the Energizer bunny.

4. If you meet someone from Ireland, only tell them you are Irish if you can legitimately back it up. “My last name is McFlanagan” or “I have red hair” or “I can drink a lot” are not a legitimate back ups. Being born there or having an Irish passport is legitimate. Feel free to tell them how much you love Ireland and then give them a kiss as a sign of your appreciation.

5. Get plastered. It is a big day for drinking. So make sure you get absolutely poleaxed drunk. Any memories of the day should be short and impossible to piece together. Drink Irish drinks – Guinness, Jameson, Kilkenny, Smithwick’s, Bushmills and so on.

Follow these 5 Steps and you should have a successful Paddy’s Day. Session On.

Word is that Governor Strickland’s Chief Legal Counsel may currently be negotiating a plea deal, or in lieu of that, possibly even be indicted for some of the issues surrounding Troopergate.

The big thing to wrap your mind around for when this breaks is that Markus is smart – way too smart to set up institutionalized obstruction without the knowledge and consent of the constitutional authority. And of course, Strickland will play his assigned role and try to act shocked.

What to watch for next? Does Markus leave the Governor’s office and take a lucrative job in the private sector? Does he stick it out and hope the plea deal minimizes the coverage?

The problem for the Governor is that he doesn’t want this scandal stretching into the Fall when voters are actually paying attention. Because of that, things need to start moving, and fast.

But, if it goes too long and the prosecutor thinks he’s getting played, don’t be surprised if he takes it to the grand jury and forces the action. The Senate hearings are bringing out things that blow the arguments for shutting down the drug investigation out of the water. The hearing is also building a case that this is a pattern of behavior from the Gov’s office that law enforcement deems obstruction.

The most serious issue pushing this to some kind of legal conclusion is the precedent of the Governor’s office requiring signoff on investigations. That ends state level law enforcement. The fact that the call was made when a lobbyist called shows what will be common practice if the seal protecting the Highway Patrol is broken. In one respect this is even bigger than the scandal facing NY Gov. David Paterson because it’s happening under a Governor elected in a landslide caused by another scandal. At its root, this strategy is a scandal suppression method.

The fact is this, Troopergate has the potential to be far more damning to Strickland than Coingate ever was to Taft. This reaches straight to the top.

If the Fourth Estate does their job, this will be the story of the year.

HEALTH:
This is the kinda person I have a real problem with!!! NO ONE should be proud of their “girth.” I am not talking about a person with a few extra pounds…I am referring to a person like this, or someone who refuses to take care of themselves. AND FOR THE RECORD…FANS OF OBAMA CARE-this is the kinda person YOUR SOCIALIZED health care will be taking care of! Instead of a penalty for not paying in…how about a penalty for not TRYING to be healthy in YOUR BILL!

Simpson, of Old Bridge, N.J., is 42 years old, has two kids and a boyfriend, and she weighs 602 pounds. That’s right … 602 pounds.

She’s on a diet, of course, because she has a goal in mind:

She wants to weigh 1,000 pounds.

That’s right … 1,000 pounds. It’s a nice, extra-round figure — almost as big as what her unhealthy choices will ultimately cost taxpayers.

Slideshow: Woman Wants to Be ‘World’s Fattest’

Simpson claims she is normal and healthy, and she has a right to eat what she wants and weigh what she wants.

“I love eating and people love watching me eat,” she says. “It makes people happy, and I’m not harming anyone.”

But she needs to use a motor scooter when she goes grocery shopping, because she can’t walk more than 20 feet. The human body, after all, is not designed to scarf down 12,000 calories a day in the quest to weigh half a ton.

Simpson is definitely harming someone — herself, says Dr. Carla Wolper, a registered dietitian and research faculty member at the New York Obesity Research Center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York.

And you, the taxpayer, could wind up paying for it.

“We don’t know her medical history, but one of the most dangerous health issues she faces is an increased risk of sudden death from having a heart attack due to electrical problems in the heart,” Wolper said.

Other possible causes of death for Simpson include stroke, immobility, breathing problems, congestive heart failure, diabetes, and inflammation of heart tissue. Each year, nearly 300,000 Americans die from heart failure.

Simpson, experts say, is putting herself at risk for all these medical conditions, and those conditions have a hefty pricetag.

“The baseline cost for someone like to go to the emergency room is $993 for one visit,” Daniel Emmer, public relations manager of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, the largest health insurance provider in New Jersey, told FOXNews.com.

Simpson’s main source of income to support herself financially is by appearing on a Web site where men pay to watch videos of her gorging on food and showing off her hundreds of pounds of extra bulge in a bikini.

But it’s anyone’s guess whether her revenue from Web videos will cover the cost of her inevitable health risks.

“Someone with diabetes costs $11,744 more per year to provide health care, which is twice as much as the average person,” Emmer said.

It is unclear what type of insurance Simpson has, if any. But there is no question that whatever her health care position is, it could come at a high cost.

“When people are very, very overweight, they are at an increased risk for a condition called prolonged QT syndrome,” Wolper told FoxNews.com.

Prolonged QT syndrome is a heart rhythm disorder that can potentially cause fast, chaotic heartbeats, the Mayo Clinic says on its Web site. In some cases, the heart may beat erratically for so long that it can cause sudden death.

“Another problem this woman faces is related to the circulatory system,” Wolper said. “When people are that big, circulation is often impaired in the legs. This can cause blood to pool in the legs leading to formation of blood clots. This leaves morbidly obese people at an increased risk for a pulmonary embolism.”

A pulmonary embolism occurs when one or more arteries in the lungs become blocked. In most cases, pulmonary embolism is caused by blood clots that travel to your lungs from another part of your body — most commonly, your legs, according to the Mayo Clinic. One of the major risk factors is excess weight, which increases the risk of blood clots, especially in women who smoke or have high blood pressure.

“The work of the heart is tremendously increased when someone is that big because there’s so much more blood in the body,” Wolper said. “When this happens, the heart has to pump against the pressure of all that fat that is pressing against the blood vessels, and as a result the heart enlarges, and not in a good way.”

As Simpson’s appetite increases, so will the cost of health care for the severe medical conditions that she is likely to have — conditions that are preventable by healthier lifestyle choices. Whereas her $750-a-week grocery bill is merely gastronomical, her hospital bills will be astronomical — and the taxpayers of New Jersey may well have to pay her tab.

Meanwhile, in her effort to boldly go where no woman has gone before, Simpson says she tries to stay sedentary, so she burns as few calories as necessary.

She consumes five times more than the recommended daily calories for a woman her age.

“My favorite food is sushi. But unlike others I can sit and eat 70 big pieces of sushi in one go,” she told the Daily Mail.

“I do love cakes and sweet things, doughnuts are my favorite.”

The current record for fattest

woman is held by a woman also from New Jersey, who weighed an unbelievable 1,800 pounds when she died in 2008. She was 49 years old.

Simpson is proud of the Guinness World Record she holds now for the world’s fattest mother, and her boyfriend is proud of her too.

Philippe, 49, supports her thousand-pound goal, even if that is nearly seven times his own weight of 150 pounds.

“I think he’d like it if I was bigger,” Simpson said. “He’s a real belly man, and completely supports me.”

Someday, the experts say, we all may support her.

IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE LIKE HER!
I would like to point out I have A BUNCH OF WEIGHT since February 20th. I am weighing in at just under 175 pounds. My runs are getting longer (and pace is increasing). Recently I ran an equivalent of a half marathon. The good thing for me, I am leaning out and have not lost much of my size, and NONE OF MY STRENGTH! While I am being conscious of what I eat, I basically eat whatever I want. MY SECRET? Products from Visalus! To learn more on how you can get your weight under control, lose weight, and JUST BE HEALTHIER, plus have the chance to make an extra income…www.sexton.bodybyvi.com Or http://www.sexton.visalusgiving.com

SPORTS:
Welcome back Snake Eyes, and Lil Charlie Hustle!
Guest Larkin dusts off No. 11
GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Barry Larkin will slip into a Reds uniform Friday for the first time since retiring as a player.

It will feel good.

“I have so many Reds uniforms at home,” Larkin said. “I was looking at them before I came out here. I remember after I retired, I had a Nationals uniform with No. 11 – before Ryan Zimmerman was 11 – I couldn’t put it on. It will be very comfortable putting the Reds uniform on.”

Larkin arrived in Reds camp Thursday for a 10-day run as a guest instructor.

Larkin had been estranged from the organization since his retirement. He spent three years working for the Nationals. Last year he was no longer under contract with Washington but he did not come to Reds camp.

Part of that was there were some hard feelings at the end of Larkin’s time with Reds. There’s since been a thaw.

Larkin came to Redsfest this year. CEO Bob Castellini wrote a letter to Hall of Fame voters supporting Larkin for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Reds manager Dusty Baker and general manager Walt Jocketty both asked Larkin to come to camp.

Larkin will be a roving instructor. Sean Casey, his Reds teammate and MLB Network cohort, is coming in a similar capacity.

“I’ll do whatever they want me to,” Larkin said. “I know they have young shortstops in the organization. I think one of the reasons they brought me back, as well as Sean Casey, is the last time this organization won is when we were playing. You can have the different pieces. But I think there’s an aura they’re trying to create. I commend them for having all the guys back.

“I know when I was playing, having the veterans come back gave me a sense of the proud history.”

PASSING:
Only Michigan Wolverine Found Dead
Hikers Found Wolverine Dead In Ditch
SANILAC COUNTY, Mich. — Michigan’s only known wolverine was found dead Saturday in Sanilac County, near where it was first spotted in 2004.

A pair of hikers found the female wolverine in a ditch near a beaver dam in the Minden City State Game Area.

A Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment said it appeared to have died of natural causes, but a necropsy will be performed at a DNRE lab at Michigan University.

The Department has said it plans to eventually mount the animal for display in the Bay City State Game Area.

A group of coyote hunters initially spotted the animal in Ubly, about 90 miles north of Detroit in February 2004 — nearly 200 years after the species was last seen in the state that uses the small but ferocious animal as its unofficial nickname.

The wolverine, a member of the weasel family that grows to about 25 pounds but is fierce enough to fight off bears and wolves, once ranged across the northern and western United States. It is now limited mostly to northern Canada, Idaho and Alaska, with sightings in a few other states, but its last confirmed sightings in Michigan were by fur traders in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

IRISH QUOTES:
“And shepherds we shall be,
For Thee, my Lord, for Thee.
Power hath descended forth from Thy hand,
That our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command.
So we shall flow a river forth to Thee
And teeming with souls shall it ever be.
In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.”-Boondock Saints

“To be Irish is to know that in the end…
the world will break your heart”
-Daniel Patrick Moyniham

“Yeah, yeah. And let me tell you something. I’ve had enough of Irish-Americans who haven’t been back to their country in 20 or 30 years come up to me and talk about the resistance, the revolution back home, and the glory of the revolution, and the glory of dying for the revolution. F*** the revolution! They don’t talk about the glory of killing for the revolution. What’s the glory of taking a man from his bed and gunning him down in front of his wife and his children? Where’s the glory in that? Where is the glory in bombing a remembrance day parade of old-age pensioners, their medals taken out an polished up for the day? Where’s the glory in that? To leave them dying or crippled for life or dead under the rubble of the revolution that the majority of the people in my country don’t want.”-Bono ’Sunday Bloody Sunday’

“This is one race of peoples for whom psychoanalyst is of no use whatsoever!”-Sigmund Freud referring to The Irish Peoples

QUOTES:
Heard on the news that the government wants to control my salt intake by regulating restaurants…I’d rather the government control my Bulls**t intake by regulating what comes out of their mouths…

THURSDAY:
I play The Newark Catholic Ladies Night Out at Newark Catholic High School

FRIDAY:
I play The Jackets Pre-Party at Frog Bear Wild Boar at 5pm. Start your weekend off in style and root for your Jackets!
The Divide ROX Captain Jacks

SATURDAY: FIRST DAY OF SPRING
Saturday Morning 11am-1pm Join me at Lifestyle Family Fitness on 161 and Karl Road for a Spring Fling Workout out! Sweat to my jams and give your workout an added boost. I have guest passes and your chance to WIN FREE MONTH MEMBERSHIPS!

FUNNIES:
ALL WEEKEND:
One of Entertainment Weekly’s Top 10 Comics to watch, Pete Correale, plays The Funny Bone at Easton Town Center

MORE TO DO:
ALL WEEKEND:
The hottest, and practical cars roar into, The Columbus International Auto Show at The Greater Columbus Convention Center. For more info and times http://www.columbusautoshow.com

This weekend don’t forget to “Spring Your Clocks Ahead 1 hour.” I like this time of year, my own inner clock works well with these times! “Spring Forward” at 2am on Sunday Morning-and don’t complain when the bars close “early.”

Well the snow has passed on (hopefully) and we have warmer temps and rain. Maybe our Spring Fevers will be break? Regardless…it is nice to see Grass outside. Did anyone else remember Grass is Green?

GOALS:
This week as I was watching “The Fat Kids” (Biggest Loser) I realised the importance of goals. I like to watch that show cause they inspire me. Those people have made a life changing commitment. The work they put forth in their exercise and commitment is far greater than mine. With the size they are, and the lifestyle they have lived…they most work harder than most of us will be able to do! I respect and admire them and their commitment to hard work and bettering their lives!

I too have goals. I want to be in the best “health” possible. This no longer means I must be the strongest, and never been the fastest, but I want to be the best I can be. This is not only true in a physical sense but also in other areas of life.

I want to be a success, but success can measured on many levels. I want to achieve the highest I can with handwork and without compromising my own beliefs, and morals.

I stated in a quote last week, the measure of success is not in the size of wealth, achievement, or worth…it is in the measure of a man. I am not tall, but hope to be HUGE someday!
My goals will be fulfilled if I can make a living and just make one person smile and forget their problems…at least for a minute that I was around.

Right now my family is my parents back home…my extended family in Florida, many friends I consider family, and my dog. While all these are important, I do miss out on some things. I had a great experience on Tuesday Night while I was grabbing some dinner.

The following is not one of my my normal blog posts-actually out of character for me. On Tuesday I was at Subway getting my “Fat Kid” dinner (Biggest Loser Meal), and I noticed a young dad. He looked just worn out and “ragged” maybe from long day at work, or maybe life-JUST TIRED! But he was with his daughter and they were laughing and havin fun. Was just kinda cool to witness a young dude-being a Dad, and enjoying it. When I worked for Children Services most of the time I never saw this kind of interaction, and always saw the worst. It made my day to see this scene-one which I personally only see in Country Music Videos. Maybe…I can even be that dad someday (but not the young part LOL).

Hope y’all have a great week and I want to see ya this weekend at Fado, or Frog Bear Wild Boar Bar!

Next week a History Lesson on The day of The “Homeland”-Slainte!!!

PLEASE HELP:
Please help us make Stefanie Spielman’s dream a reality! She wrote a children’s book to help them understand cancer, but lost her battle before it could be published. Please vote for this “Good Idea”…pepsi is awarding grant money to the best idea.
Before Stefanie Spielman, wife of NFL great Chris Spielmen, lost her 10 year battle with breast cancer, she authored a book entitled “Breast Cancer Boo Boo”. The book chronicles the experience of a mother’s breast cancer through the eyes of her children and is intended to help children better understand and deal with the effects of cancer.

Stefanie’s dream was to see this book published and distributed to children who had a loved one fighting this terrible disease. Unfortunately, Stefanie lost her battle before she could see the book published and distributed, however, Chris and many of Stefanie’s friends committed to publish this worthy book through their cancer caregivers association called Strong Hearts —- a tribute to the strong bond that Chris and Stefanie maintained throughout her battle with breast cancer and his resolve to be her cancer caregiver.

ALSO This weekend is ‘Miracles and Magic” this is an event hosted by my buddy Jon Petz and all proceeds go to “A Kid Again.” AKA Ohio’s premiere variety show returns in 2010 with an amazing lineup of national and international award winning illusionists and magical-comedy entertainers all gathering in Columbus, Ohio for this spectacular event. All proceeds benefit A Kid Again, a nonprofit that strives to enrich the lives of children with life threatening illnesses and their families.

This is an entertaining event full of magic, comedy, and wonder! Even if you can’t go, please consider a $25.00 donation to send a child to this event. Opening Night is Friday with Matinee shows at The Vern Riffe Center.

OSCARS:
I am not a fan of over the top movies and did not like ‘Avatar’ at all-especially the “buzz” on it. ‘Hurt Locker’ was one of the best movies I saw last year, I did not leave it feeling good, however, it told the story of some of the biggest billy bad a**es in OUR MILITARY! I suggest everyone watch OSCAR WINNER, ‘THE HURT LOCKER!’ I also was floored by the movie “The Blind Side’ yea it is a lil sensationalized for Disney Purposes, BUT AN AMAZING STORY!
The full list of the 2010 Oscar winners from Oscar.com
Best Picture The Hurt Locker
Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro
Actor in a Leading Role Jeff Bridges
Crazy Heart
Actor in a Supporting Role Christoph Waltz
Inglourious Basterds
Actress in a Leading Role Sandra Bullock
The Blind Side
Actress in a Supporting Role Mo’Nique
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Animated Feature Film Up
Pete Docter
Art Direction Avatar
Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg (Art Direction); Kim Sinclair (Set Decoration)
Cinematography Avatar
Mauro Fiore
Costume Design The Young Victoria
Sandy Powell
Directing The Hurt Locker
Kathryn Bigelow
Documentary Feature The Cove
Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens
Documentary Short Music by Prudence
Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
Editing The Hurt Locker
Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
Foreign Language Film The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)
Argentina
Directed by Juan José Campanella
Makeup Star Trek
Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
Music (Original Score) Up
Michael Giacchino
Music (Original Song) Crazy Heart
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)”
Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett (whenever I see him on concert it is T-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNEEEEEEE)
Short Film (Animated) Logorama
Nicolas Schmerkin
Short Film (Live Action) The New Tenants
Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson
Sound Editing The Hurt Locker
Paul N.J. Ottosson
Sound Mixing The Hurt Locker
Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
Visual Effects Avatar
Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
Writing (Original Screenplay) The Hurt Locker
Written by Mark Boal

FINANCE:
Pretty Cool Story!

BOOKINGS:
While I am on the road a lot, I have a few open dates and a crew who can meet all of our clients entertainment needs. If you are in need of DJ/MC services, sound production, or event management please contact us at 614-580-3118. Mention this post and receive 10% off your event fees. Also due to working only on word of mouth, I give 15% for any referrals sent my way. That’s right…YOU make money just by letting your friends know we do a good job!

SOCIAL NETWORKING:
I have 2 slots left to handle any business, group, or organization social networking. Social Networking is a FREE Chance to keep in contact with your clients, or donors. Ask me how I have increased revenues and NAME ID for several organizations.

HEALTH:
I would like to point out I have dropped 20 pounds since February 20th. I am weighing in at just under 175 pounds. My runs are getting longer (and pace is increasing). Recently I ran an equivalent of a half marathon. The good thing for me, I am leaning out and have not lost much of my size, and NONE OF MY STRENGTH! While I am being conscious of what I eat, I basically eat whatever I want. MY SECRET? Products from Visalus! To learn more on how you can get your weight under control, lose weight, and JUST BE HEALTHIER, plus have the chance to make an extra income…www.sexton.bodybyvi.com Or http://www.sexton.visalusgiving.com

POLITICS:
HECK I EVEN GOT MY GUYS ON THE BALLOT-GEESH!!! MORONS!!!

Five candidates fail to qualify for statewide primary ballot
Three were in race for U.S. Senate, two for attorney general
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner disqualified five candidates from the statewide ballot today, including two of her Democratic opponents for the U.S. Senate, because they failed to file enough valid signatures of registered voters.
Brunner’s action left just three contested statewide races on the May 4 primary ballot: Senate, secretary of state and auditor.

Brunner and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher both filed more than the required 1,000 valid signatures, reaffirming their hotly contested Democratic battle for the U.S. Senate.

Two Democrats — Charlena Renee Bradley of Lyndhurst and Traci Johnson of Hilliard — were disqualified from running for Senate. Bradley filed 1,170 signatures, but only 642 were valid, and fewer than half the 1,305 signatures submitted by Johnson were valid.
Also disqualified from the U.S. Senate race was Libertarian Party candidate Steven R. Linnabary of Blacklick, who filed just 135 valid signatures.

Two conservative candidates for Ohio attorney general were disqualified: Steve Christopher, a northwest Ohio lawyer, and Robert M. Owens, a Delaware lawyer running as a Constitution Party candidate.
Christopher, who had sought Tea Party backing in the Republican Party primary against Mike DeWine, filed 638 valid signatures. Owens, who ran unsuccessfully for attorney general in a 2008 special election, filed just 282 valid signatures.

Two Republicans will face off in the GOP primary for secretary of state: state Sen. Jon Husted of Kettering and former Ashtabula County Auditor Sandra O’Brien.
For state auditor, Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost and state Rep. Seth Morgan of Huber Heights will vie for the GOP nomination.

BUSINESS:

“SNAP INTO IT!”-I wonder if Westerville Resident Randy “Macho Man” Savage had anything to do with this?

Slim Jim production moving to Ohio

RALEIGH, N.C. — ConAgra Foods Inc. said today it will close a Slim Jim production facility in North Carolina that was damaged during a deadly explosion last year, cutting hundreds of jobs as most of the production of the snacks moves to Ohio.

The Omaha, Neb.-based food manufacturer said that the Garner site will close in late 2011 and production will transition to a facility in Troy, Ohio. The Ohio site will add 190 employees to its workforce of nearly 400.
“We truly value the commitment that our Garner employees and the entire Garner community have shown over the past several months,” said ConAgra Foods CEO Gary Rodkin in a statement. “This was an incredibly difficult decision, but a decision that allows us to leverage economies of scale in Troy, which is necessary for the good of our business over the long term.”

About 750 people worked at the ConAgra facility in Garner when a June explosion ripped through the building, killing four people and causing parts of the roof to collapse. Contractors had been purging gas lines at the time of the blast, and investigators have since issued nationwide warnings about the practice of clearing pipes indoors.

ConAgra agreed to pay $106,000 for workplace safety violations.
The company has previously announced that it would lay off 300 of its employees in North Carolina. It plans to provide severance and job-retraining benefits, will donate the building and land to spur economic development, and it will provide $3 million to help fund a planned community center and market the existing site.

ConAgra plans to add 74,000 square feet and four production lines to the Troy facility to make it the primary Slim Jim meat snack manufacturer. Production of Slim Jim products began there last year.

HAPPY B-DAY:
Happy 70th birthday to Chuck Norris…of course we know it’s a fact that “Chuck Norris does not age. Every birthday, is just another year added to his existence, which stinks for the bad guys” more at http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com

INSPIRATION:
Arnold: Everyone’s good at something
Governor says adults must inspire kids, sees physical fitness as key to lower health costs
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
All Cody Gatewood wanted to know was how his idol got started.
The 14-year-old student at Hilliard Memorial Middle School went to the Ask Arnold Training Seminar yesterday morning determined to learn what inspired Arnold Schwarzenegger to pick up the barbells and begin a body-building career that has spanned generations of admirers.

The Ask Arnold event, at Veterans Memorial, has become a staple of the annual Arnold Sports Festival, which began Friday and ended yesterday Downtown.
Attendees could ask the California governor about anything, from his physical training to his movie career to his politics.

By leaping to his feet just as Schwarzenegger was wrapping up the question-answer portion of the event, Gatewood snagged the last question of the day: “What made you get into bodybuilding?”
The question, one of only a few that did not include a plea for a photo or an autograph, launched Schwarzenegger into a reminiscence of his teenage years in Austria and how he met bodybuilders who trained at the stadium where he played soccer.
He recalled the dismay his mother expressed when she came into his bedroom one day and saw the pictures of bodybuilders and boxers on display.

Schwarzenegger said she made the village doctor come to the house to look at the photos.
“She said, ‘All Arnold’s friends have girls hanging on their walls. He has naked men hanging on the walls, with oiled bodies. Where did I go wrong?'”

The doctor understood, Schwarzenegger said, and told his mother that young people search for inspiration and need heroes.

The story was one of many he told with the theme of providing role models for young people.

“Our responsibility is to take what we are good at, and everyone is good at something, to take that something and inspire kids, to teach kids to carry on with that,” Schwarzenegger said.

He talked about the increased medical costs associated with childhood obesity and how the fitness fanatics who attend the Arnold weekend can make a difference by volunteering to teach children about healthy living.

“The best way to bring health-care costs down is through prevention, prevention, prevention,” he said. “That’s what the Arnold Classic is all about.”

The talk wasn’t all about working out. The one-time Hollywood star got some of his biggest laughs talking about the movie business.

Sometimes, movies weren’t what he thought they’d be, he said. He brought up Last Action Hero, when the director came to him halfway through shooting to tell him he wanted to change the movie into a film more like Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

“This is not E.T., this is Last Action Hero,” he said. “This is like big battles and fight scenes and all those things from the beginning to the end, bigger than you’ve ever seen. It’s not E.T.”
But even that story had a lesson: “The key is when you make mistakes, you have to know, and see them, correct them and not make them again.”

After yesterday’s seminar, Gatewood said that getting to see and talk to Schwarzenegger made him want to take up bodybuilding. He said he learned that the sport was about life changes, not short-term goals.
His father, George Gatewood, a Whitehall firefighter, said he appreciated what Schwarzenegger had to say about inspiring children and doing things as a family.

“I think one of the things I’m excited about is a father and son work-out team, and us working out together,” he said.

YOU DA MAN:
This kid is awesome!!!
10 year old, Dalton Sherman of Dallas, TX as the keynote speaker at the Dallas Independent School District launch of the new school year. THIS IS A MUST WATCH!!!

MORE:
Soldier tells how he threw back Taliban grenade
LONDON (Reuters) – A soldier serving with the British Army in Afghanistan has told of the moment he threw back a Taliban hand grenade, telling himself: “I’ve really only got one chance to do this.”
Rifleman James McKie from Recce Platoon, 3rd Battalion The Rifles was under fire from three directions on a roof when the grenade hit his platoon commander and landed at his feet.

“My first thought was I hope this doesn’t hurt too much,” the New Zealander said. “That, and I’ve really only got one chance to do this.

“If it fails, either way, doing nothing, I’m going to get the same amount of hurt. So I picked it up and threw it off the roof.”

It exploded in mid-air just seconds later, sending shrapnel flying.

A media statement from The Rifles at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, which carried McKie’s account, said his actions helped to save the lives of his commander and one other soldier who were involved in a fire-fight in the Sangin area of Helmand province, where six British soldiers have been killed in the last week. “We were in a high position on a compound roof,” McKie went on. “There was no way you could throw yourself off and not get injured, so I made a decision to pick up the grenade and throw it off the roof.

“I tried to throw it properly, to clear the roof. I didn’t want to do it half-arsed and have them throw it back at us or anything like that.

“I remember thinking that if I didn’t pull this off, it was going to hurt. But at that stage I was pretty much committed.”

McKie sustained fragmentation injuries to his right arm and face as the grenade exploded mid air, close to where he stood.

Fragmentation also hit his Platoon commander Captain Graeme Kerr who received leg injuries and who is recovering at Selly Oak Hospital in Britain.

“In retrospect, people keep telling me how brave I am, which I’m slightly embarrassed about,” said McKie, who previously served in the New Zealand army.

“I’d like to think that anyone in that situation would have done the same or something similar because you can’t just sit there and let yourself or other people get hurt.

“I don’t feel particularly brave. I thought: I have to do this to survive.”

PASSING:
Nope…no one saw this one coming did we?!?!?

Teen Idol Corey Haim Dies at 38
Actor Corey Haim — best known for 80s films including License to Drive and the Lost Boys — has died at the age of 38.

According to police, Haim, who had past substance-abuse problems, died at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday of an accidental overdose.

He reportedly was found unresponsive at his apartment. He was with his mother at the time of his death.

He was later pronounced dead at Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank.

RANTS:
I will not say anything except…SEND RAMBO AND PUT TED NUGENT ON HIS I-POD!!!
Iranian president: 9/11 was ‘big
CNN) — Two days before his official trip to Afghanistan, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a “big lie” intended to pave the way for the invasion of a war-torn nation, according to Iranian state media.

Ahmadinejad, known for his harsh rhetoric toward the West and Israel, said the attack on U.S. soil was a “scenario and a sophisticated intelligence measure,” Iran’s state-run Press TV reported Saturday.
The assault was a “big lie intended to serve as a pretext for fighting terrorism and setting the grounds for sending troops to Afghanistan,” Press TV reported Ahmadinejad as saying.

It’s not the first time Ahmadinejad has denied a historical tragedy. In the past, he has denied the existence of the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of some 6 million Jews during World War II, and suggested Israel should be “wiped off the map.”

“Today,” he said Saturday, “with blessings from the Almighty, the capitalist system, founded by the Zionists, has also reached an end,” Press TV quoted Ahmadinejad.
Ahmadinejad’s comments Saturday came just two days before his visit to Afghanistan to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, according to the semi-official Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA).
Ahmadinejad has blamed the “problems in its eastern neighbor” on foreign troops there, ILNA reported Sunday.

The one-day trip is the first for both leaders since their re-election, ILNA reported. Ahmadinejad’s re-election last summer prompted thousands to take to the streets of Tehran in protest.

SPORTS:
The ‘Boys of Summer’ are in Spring Training and my Reds are looking good! Now if THEY WOULD JUST TRADE HOMER BAILEY!!!
Chapman impresses in Reds’ 14-5 win over Royals
Scouts behind home plate trained their radar guns on Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman as the left-hander prepared to throw. When the ball smacked the catcher’s mitt, they’d glance back at the gun and find an eye-popping number.

The left-hander hit 100 mph at least three times during his spring training debut Monday, throwing two scoreless innings during the Cincinnati Reds’ 14-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
The most impressive thing was that he did it without even trying.

“I wasn’t trying to throw that hard,” Chapman said through an interpreter, coach Tony Fossas. “It was good to face someone other than my own teammates. I felt better than I did in the last game. I start slow and as the game goes on, I throw harder.”

Chapman was clocked at 100 mph while pitching for Cuba during the World Baseball Classic last spring. The Reds signed him to a six-year, $30.25 million deal in January, and are giving the 22-year-old a chance to make the back of the rotation. He hit one of his teammates in the thigh during an intrasquad scrimmage last week, but was much sharper this time around.

Players from both teams stopped what they were doing to watch when he got ready to throw. He gave up a single by Brayan Pena and walked Brian Anderson before settling down and dominating.

“It sounded like he was throwing real hard. I couldn’t see it,” Royals manager Trey Hillman said, laughing. “He gets it up there. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a longer stride. It looked like he was going to run out of mound.”
Reds manager Dusty Baker liked the way Chapman had better control than during the intrasquad scrimmage. Chapman came from Cuba with a history of control problems.

“It’s just a matter of him finding the plate,” Baker said. “He was close to the plate today even when he was missing. Most of the time when he missed, it was down. That’s a very good sign that he’s getting more and more into the rhythm of things.”

Cincinnati’s Drew Stubbs hit a two-run homer off Kyle Farnsworth, who is trying to make the Royals’ starting rotation. Farnsworth hasn’t started a game in the majors since 2000 with the Chicago Cubs. He allowed five runs in 1 2-3 innings.

“I definitely like the results to be a little better but at the same time, I’m just trying to get a feel for things,” Farnsworth said.

Jonny Gomes added a three-run homer for Cincinnati.

Kansas City’s Brian Bannister gave up one hit over two scoreless innings. Bannister lost his last five decisions in 2009 and was shut down in September because of right shoulder fatigue.

“It’s been a while since I’ve pitched in competition,” Bannister said. “That’s why I tried to keep it simple. I didn’t want to walk anyone or do anything stupid.”

The Boondock Saints: 10 Year Anniversary
“and they didn’t even need the rope”
They say the best form of viral is word of mouth. Long before money was spent on creating campaigns and websites, the best way to get people to know about your movie was to make a movie that people wanted to know about. A film that people wanted to talk about. A film that people WANTED to tell their friends about. A film that earned the title of a cult classic.

10 years ago, a film did just that: The Boondock Saints.

Troy Duffy’s film, about two brothers who need to clean up the streets of Boston in such a righteous way that it’s far from frowned upon, did just that. A film praised (no pun intended) for its action, its comedy, its writing, and its sheer visual greatness, cleaned up the town known as “old viral” and became a film that many know and love. The sequel, where you can read my review here, continues the story in a way that all fans wanted.

Just like the word of mouth that made the first film what it was, and helped the second film make it from limited to nationwide viewing, the Saints are looking to get you to talk the talk and get some more word of their spiritual journey out in celebration of a milestone event.

Eventful, the same site that helped spread the word for Paranormal Activity, is being used to spread the “gospel” of the MacManus’ brothers in an effort to bring the original film back to the big screen for its ten year anniversary. Those of you unfamiliar with Eventful, it’s simple. Give them the zip code you are in, that counts as a demand/request, and then, the word of mouth kicks in when you tell your friends. It’s simple.

So there you have it. If you want to see a great film, then see The Boondock Saints. If you want to see a great film on the big screen, then get your rope, because you never know when you’ll need it, and click the link below and start demanding!
“And Shepherds we shall be
For thee, my Lord, for thee.
Power hath descended forth from Thy hand… See More
Our feet may swiftly carry out Thy commands.
So we shall flow a river forth to Thee
And teeming with souls shall it ever be.
In Nomeni Patri Et Fili Spiritus Sancti.”

MUSIC:
Chelsea Field Wraps Up First Country Radio Seminar Experience, Announces Debut
Moxy Records recording artist Chelsea Field has wrapped up her first Country Radio Seminar and will release her debut single, “Things I Should’ve Said,” in the coming weeks to Country radio.

Field attended CRS 2010 in Nashville last week (Feb. 24-26), where she spent several days doing interviews, networking and preparing for the release of her first single, “Things I Should’ve Said.” She also helped to close out this year’s CRS with a performance at Digital Rodeo’s “Guilty Pleasures” show on Friday night alongside acts like Emily West, Love & Theft, Mark Wills, Steve Azar, Julie Roberts, Buddy Jewell, Mallary Hope, Bomshel and Laura Bell Bundy.

“The whole CRS experience for me was just amazing,” says Field. “There is so much you can learn about the Country radio business at CRS, and the timing of it couldn’t have been better for me, personally. We got feedback from so many people at the seminar, and I know it’s going to help us when we release ‘Things I Should’ve Said’ in the coming weeks.”

Award-winning songwriter and producer Trey Bruce (Trace Adkins, Chris Ledoux, Rebecca Lynn Howard) produced Field’s debut album and single. In February, Field became the first artist to sign with new Nashville-based independent label, Moxy Records.

A video is currently being planned for “Things I Should’ve Said.” Field’s debut album is scheduled for release in summer 2010.

QUOTES:
“We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.” — Nancy Pelosi, March 9. in her remarks at the 2010 Legislative Conference for National Association of Counties discussing the health care bill.

-I play the official Pre-Party at Frog Bear Wild Boar Bar before hand. Lot’s of John Mayer Music, cold beverages, and hot food-great way to kick off your weekend. I will probably go to the show and would have taken Tiffany…if she would have asked!

Willie Phoenix brings his blend of Blues and Rock to Captain Jacks

CAPA presents Simply Sinatra at The Southern Theatre. Ol’ Blue Eyes is one of my idols and Steve Lippia does a perfect rendition. For more info http://www.capa.com

SATURDAY:
The Premier St Patrick’s Tent Party in Columbus begins at Fado (Easton Town Center)!
Day long festival outside in Fado’s large, heated tent TO KEEP YA DRY FROM RAIN! Save and buy tickets online at http://www.FadoIrishPub.com/Columbus. Arrive before 5pm and beat the $10 cover charge.
It’s a full day kicking off with our St Baldrick’s Charity Event from 1pm-4pm. Shave your head and help find a cure for childhood cancer. Come down and show your support for a great cause-You can help out a GREAT Cause and look like out DJ on Stage MATT SEXTON!

A big day out at Fadó wouldn’t be complete without a lot of great live music. DJ Matt Sexton kicks off the stage with Live music beginning at 3:30pm; and the main stage offers something for everyone with the likes of Blood, Sweat, and Beers, traditional Irish Dancers, and Get in the Van.
You’ll wrap up your outdoor festival experience with The Menus headlining.

DVD:
A movie I related to too much, Oscar nominated, ‘Up In The Air,’ staring George Clooney, and rated “R.”
A movie for the kids but parents will love, ‘Old Dogs,’ rated “PG,” and staring Robin Williams, and John Travolta.

MY PICK OF THE WEEK, and one of my favorites, ‘Boondock Saints II. All Saints Day,’rated “R.” This follow up is not as good as the original (which is celebrating it’s 10 year Anniversary this week), but still good, and has all the action and “campy material” that made the original a success. New faces and of course some of the original cast. Good flick to have on your shelves.

NEW MUSIC:
Gary Allan is finally moving on in his life with ‘Get Off on the Pain’
Alternative pop/rap/funk rockers Gorillaz (members of Blur, and De La Soul-as cartoon characters, release ‘Plastic Beach’

NEXT WEEK AT FADO:
Monday, March 15
Special St Patrick’s Day Pub Quiz. Quiz starts at 8pm, but why not get here for 6pm and show some love for our special guest bartenders from the Shamrock Club and Daughters of Erin.

Tuesday, March 16
What better way to warm up for the session of the year than hours of great Live Music and entertainment.
Matt Sexton starts the Pre-Green Party at 5:30pm, with The Drowsy Lads will kick things off at 6:00 PM, followed by The Milennium School’s own Irish Dancers at 7:00 PM. We’ll end our night with The Ladies of Longford headlining at 9:00 PM
Wednesday, March 17 – St Patrick’s Day in Columbus – Session On.
Save and buy tickets online at http://www.FadoIrishPub.com/Columbus.
*$5 cover includes free breakfast until 10:00 AM
*$5 cover from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM; $10 cover from 4:00 PM-midnight.

Doors open at 7AM for Kegs and Eggs. A St Patrick’s Day tradition at Fadó , not to be missed! DJ Matt Sexton will be spinning the hits all day.
Live Music kicks off at 9am with Blood, Sweat, and Beers, Homeland at 1:00 PM, Katie’s Irish Dancers at 3:00 PM, Mother Trucker Duo at 3:30 PM, Soul Kitch’n at 5.30 PM, The Websters at 7:30pm and Swagg will headline your 2010 St Paddy’s party at 9:30 PM .

Of course, no St Patrick’s Day would be complete without the proper Irish food and Irish drink. Fado Irish Pub features the best Guinness in Columbus, other great Irish beers like Harp, Smithwicks and Kilkenny, proper Irish coffees, Baileys Irish cream, and of course a wide selection of Irish whiskeys.

Looking for Irish food? Just because there isn’t an Irish restaurant on every block doesn’t mean we don’t have a fine Irish food tradition. All of our Irish recipes are prepared from scratch: corned beef and cabbage, the traditional Irish boxty and Irish pub favorites like Fish & Chips. We will confidently tell you we have the best Irish food in Columbus.

Safe to say there’s no better St Patrick’s Day pub in Columbus. Additional details will be coming soon, so sign up for our St Patrick’s Day 2010 email here to get the latest!
Slainte-
M

As you read this I am in route to Kansas City Missouri to do a Bull Riding Event. I hope everyone has a great Arnold Weekend, and I while I love my gigs, I am a lil bumbed this will be the first time in 15 years I was not part of the Arnold Classic in some way shape or form.

17 years ago this week, and on my B-Day, a man I didn’t know of gave one of THE BEST SPEECHES I HAD EVER HEARD-and still the greatest to this day. I make a point to watch every year during the Jimmy V, Coaches vs Cancer Basketball Tourney, and also on my Birthday.

Simple ways to make EVERYDAY BETTER;
1.) Laugh
2.) Think
3.) Cry

“Do all 3 things everyday, 7 days a week-that is a pretty full life”

PLEASE TAKE 11:15 MINUTES to watch Jimmy Valvano’s 1993 ESPY Speech. “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up,” it may change your life (if you have not seen/heard), or at the very least make your day better. Even if not a sports fan this is GREAT!

Maybe put this on in the background as you read this (if ya care). If not, might want to print this out, this mailer is kinda long (yep longer than most)-just warning ya. This is 35 years in the making and a reflection on whatever the hell it all meant.

“Don’t Give Up, Don’t Ever Give Up”-Jimmy V

I have 3 areas that are close to my heart one being overcoming Cancer; much like that of The Jimmy V Foundation-however I am a broke, self employed, “future millionaire;” so right now all I can give is my time. But I do this because the dreaded “C” word takes way too many, especially some that don’t deserve it like children, and my angel in the sky, Kelly Moore (I say in the sky cause I think I keep her pretty busy!), who passed away over 20 years ago, yet I think if her daily!

Another area is helping kids. Some may not know this but I had a stint working with Children’s Services. It burned me out, but there is not a day that goes by that I don’t miss it. I may not like being around kids (they scare the pi** out of me), but I WILL BE DAMNED IF I LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO AN INNOCENT CHILD WHO CANNOT DEFEND THEMSELVES-OR LET THEM SUFFER DUE TO STUPID PARENTAL DECISIONS! This is kinda true with anyone who cannot defend themselves, I guess that is why I work(ed) in security areas for so long, I wanted the chance to help someone who needed help, or could not help self. And this is the reason I DO ANYTHING I CAN TO HELP/SUPPORT THE BILLY BAD A**ES WHO HAVE SERVED AND ARE SERVING FOR THIS COUNTRY-AS WELL AS THEIR FAMILIES!

I find it an honor to serve those who defend us. I also find it a GREAT PRIVILEGE to call so many a friend. On this note please mark your calenders for Thursday April 15.

On Thursday April 15, I have the honor to be part of a going away party for the greatest group of Marines who have ever served.

Lima Corp has once again been called to serve. This group is known throughout the World for their sacrifice. Please come out to show gratitude and support to them (AND THEIR FAMILIES)on Thursday April 15th at The Frog Bear Wild Boar Bar. More details to come.

SO HERE IT MY OUTLOOK ON THE LAST 35 YEARS. To some it will surprise, some pi** off, and to some confuse…but all those things, are me!

“God doesn’t give you the people you want; He gives you the people you NEED… to help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you into the person you were meant to be.”

So I sit here tired and a day closer to eternal dirt nap (at least I should get some sleep then). I have completed yet another trip around the sun

“Hear ‘em singing Happy Birthday, Better think about the wish I made, This year gone by ain’t been a piece of cake.”

I am reflecting back on sacrifices, hard work, the good, the bad and everything in-between. Even though I tend to focus more on the negative, it is not because I am pessimistic-it is because I want to always push myself harder-faster-stronger deeper!!!

Most people celebrate, drink, or hang with loved ones. I sit back by myself and wonder. I also ran 13.5 miles (just something I wanted to do). Oh and I also had a Coke. It was only the second one I have had since Mid October.

“Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don’t ask why
It’s not a question but a lesson learned in time
It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right I hope you had the time of your life.
So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind Hang it on a shelf of good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trail
For what it’s worth, it was worth all the while”

As always, the friends I have in my life, the real friends, are very special to me. Even someone who said she wanted to be friends and did not treat me very well still holds a place in my heart. By choice I don’t have many I consider friends, those I do, can call on me at any time (hell any one can call on me and I will jump).

Many of my friends I don’t talk to or see very often-but that is the beauty of those I call friend…they are in my heart. I have found this past year (more than most) that many of my friends don’t take the friendship as seriously as I do. Many use others for their own betterment. I have found this out way too much, and have even been hurt financially by it.

Some may know this, others won’t believe but, if you are, or have been my friend-I thank you for that opportunity. You all have mentored me in one way or another.

I have come to realize that contrary to what many believe, I am a loner. I don’t consider myself an outgoing person. Yea, I am at an event or public place every night surrounded by people. But I go by myself. The same can be said for the ways in which I make my money-I am a one man crew. The reason for this, unfortunately, I have found I cannot trust anyone. In many circumstances…people let you down. Not necessarily for any reason, it is just most look out for number one instead of others. I am exactly the opposite.

I do WAY TOO MUCH for others. Yea I am a d*ck and come across as Billy F-U Bad A**, but I do it to make sure that I can be friends with someone before I let them in. Anyone who knows me will say I am moody-aggressive-hard working-compassionate-very strange, BUT, I am also hardworking, loyal, and giving. All to a fault. I work till I crash, I am way too loyal to Friends and business clients-far more than I should be. And GIVING? Hell, I have gone without just to make someone else smile or give something they wanted. Being giving has allowed me to better someone else’s career in many cases (from interviewing for a job and telling the employer that my friend who was also interviewing would do a better job than me-to even buying boobs for someone to better their modeling career).

HERE IS THE KICKER-I do something nice for someone and some think I want something in return? SH*T PEOPLE I like making someone feel good and smile. At the very least, if I can control it, I don’t want anyone to feel the negative ways I have felt, AND I want those I choose as friends to have some of the experiences I have had. No matter what, I don’t think I can/will change. I am me, and if it scares you off-so be it.

That did scare someone off, someone I care about. I guess the ultimate sacrifice for someone you care about is to let them go, when they feel it is time to leave.

“And now I’m glad I didn’t know The way it all would end the way it all would go Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain But I’d of had to miss the dance”.

Over the last year I do and do and do. I was told I don’t do enough, I am not taking those comments personally, cause I know in my heart I cannot do anymore, if I am not good enough or my actions are not strong enough and speak loud enough then I cannot do anymore and I have to accept that I am not where that person needed me to be-I can and will always be there as a friend.

To all of my friends if I don’t show it, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE HONOR OF CALLING YOU FRIEND. This year I have met some new friends, and business associates. I hope that I continue to have the chance to get to know you and continue to build our financially rewarding partnerships.

I probably don’t realize how much my friends do for me. I am sure that many do more for me than I do for them. I want EVERYONE to know that I appreciate everything and anything ya’all do for me. I especially thank you for the small things you don’t realize.

With any of my friends I always hold you dear-even when I should not. One person I will always have close is not even on this earth any longer. Kelly, as I referred to earlier. I have not felt her in 20 plus years, but at a very young age she had a huge impact on my life and I miss her to this day

“Now {Only The Good Die Young} stops me in my tracks Every time I hear that song, I go back….”

I lost Kelly when we were in the 7th Grade after she fought hard against the evil that is cancer (that sees no age and claims anyone-even the innocent). Kelly taught me that you can be compassionate and loving even underneath a TOUGH and sometimes mean exterior. After she died someone told me that she had a huge crush on me and blah blah blah. While to this day it pi*ses me off that that person told me that, COME ON That can put some feelings of guilt on a kid (that is carried on to this day). However it taught me a huge lesson…TELL THOSE YOU CARE ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL NO MATTER THE CONSEQUENCES. So on that note; to the person I am no longer with-I hope you find Happiness and I do Love You with all my heart!

“Cause I’ve lost loved ones in my life Who never knew how much I loved them, Now I live with the regret, That my true feelings for them never were revealed, So I made a promise to myself, To say each day how much she means to me, And avoid that circumstance, Where there’s no second chance to tell her how I feel.”

Over the past few years I have a person who I am not with and will never be, but, even though it pisses her off…I tell her every time we talk-I love her. In her death Kelly has taught me a very important lesson. Since I have adopted her as my guardian angel (or maybe vice versa LOL) over the past 20 years she has been very busy.

“The competition’s getting younger Tougher broncs, you know I can’t recall, The worn out tape of Chris LeDoux, lonely women and bad booze, Seem to be the only friends I’ve left at all”

I work way too much, and have worked out beyond my physical boundaries, and play way too hard. I go until my candle burns out at both ends. For some reason I am chasing ghosts. Maybe the ghost of seeing my dad in a suit and tie everyday-no vacations and behind a desk working STUPID hours. I vowed very young that would never be me. Another ghost I fight is my physical stature (yet another one-thanx dad! LOL).

I have my height and temper from the Irish side of my family. On the other side of my family I have taken after my Grandfather. Not his height or long arms, or ripped abs and chest, or his sense of style, or his good looks- I have his giving traits (and yes many times that pi*ses me off!), but I also have his eyes and his shoulders. To this day, every young (and OLD) lady I know says “your Grandpa is hot.” Great, my Grandpa gets hit on more than me. ANYWAY I am not very tall…ok I AM SHORT. BUT I am strong as an OX and probably in the upper ranks of “Normal” 35 year old males in terms of physical fitness (funny thing according to body mass index I am morbidly obese).

For the record I just ran the equivalent to a Half Marathon, and weighed in at 174 pounds (1 pound under my goal weight of 175), I have lost 30 pounds since January 16th. I don’t post this kinda stuff for the sake of vanity, I post to make public and hold myself accountable as well as hopes that others will hold me accountable. MAYBE encourage someone else to do the same…but NOT VANITY!!!

Just like trying to overcome my other demons and ghosts, I try too hard to overcome my physical down falls by working out way too hard-to the point of injury and pain.

I also fight the ghost of failure. We all fail and that is what makes us grow

“why do we fall “Master Bruce”-to learn to pick ourselves back up.”

I went through a period of my life where I could not win. I failed at every chance! From jobs, to personal physical goals, to 2 VERY Un-healthy relationships. I hated to fail. But I have adopted some new outlooks and positive thinking (By the way read the books “The Secret,” and “The Purpose Driven Life”). While it is scary and sometimes difficult to go after a new contract, meet a new contact, overcome a difficult clients needs, or realize I CAN NOT lift that weight (and need to do more with less) I have come to realize that “with every failure I am closer to success.”-Einstein

Some of my failures I bring on myself. I am the first to say I do, before I think. I would rather fall off that horse-break something-and have a GREAT EXPERIENCE and STORY, than to listen to the professional who says I cannot do it! I do, and have had the chance to experience a lot of very cool things. Many I have done well and conquered, others I have failure MISERABLY. But all have taught me something-and given me some GREAT STORIES. I want to be that old guy-the ones I always gravitated to that sit by a campfire or on a porch and can spin tales for hours (Like Old Man Neighbarger and Leo Gartner, some stories even true LOL).

Since I have been interjecting song lyrics into this self description…this sums me up to a tee-with the exception of one verse I have edited out.

“I don’t know why I act the way I do
Like I ain’t got a single thing to lose
Sometimes I’m my own worst enemy
I guess that’s just the cowboy in me
I got a life that most would love to have
But sometimes I still wake up fightin’ mad
At where this road I’m heading down might lead
I guess that’s just the cowboy in me
The urge to run, the restlessness
The heart of stone I sometimes get
The things I’ve done for foolish pride
The me that’s never satisfied
The face that’s in the mirror when I don’t like what I see I guess that’s just the cowboy in me
We ride and never worry about the fall
I guess that’s just the cowboy in us all.”

This year has been the worse year ever with some of the worst cases of cancellations, being “let go,” and other problems of “LIFE.” YET IT HAS ALSO BEEN THE BEST IN WAY OF CONTACTS AND VERY COOL GIGS/EXPERIENCES. I am very lucky and blessed to have the opportunities I have had. I am also fortunate they have come after years of struggles and maturity. I now appreciate more, and well let’s face if I had these chances 10 years ago-I would have screwed them up!

I am a walking yin and yang with horrible luck. I also have some great personal moments. I accepted and forgave someone who hurt me (that was a great feet for life in general)…I also walked away from many altercations. This was huge for me; while “no one ever wins a fight” I always liked being the one with the least amount of blood on my face and the most on my hands. While the sound of bones breaking is still one of my favorite sounds in the world…I also know that it could be mine I am hearing. On multiple occasions I have walked away and I am proud of that!!!

Even though I bring some of it on myself…I have terrible luck. Just as I said above I had a run of failure. Combine that with numerous experiences/events I have been associated with, I have come to the acceptance…I have just plain bad luck. Need an example? In a one week period a few years ago;
1.) Broke up
2.) Lost job
3.) Was stabbed
4.) In hospital
5.) Had run in with Police
6.) Dog got fleas
7.) Pick up truck broke down
(“AND AFTER READING IT, I REALIZED THAT MY FRIEND HAD WRITTEN THE PERFECT COUNTRY & WESTERN SONG.”)

Funny thing is, this kind of thing happens to me all the time. A person once said, “the small things that are easy to everyone else, you fly off handle, but if it is catastrophic you are like, ‘oh well.'”

I truly am Charlie Brown. If I didn’t have bad luck…I would have no luck. Don’t get me wrong not everything that happens to me is just dumb luck.
I like everyone else have made mistakes

“regrets I have a few, but few too to mention”

and there are other things I have accomplished and am proud of. I work hard and play just as hard

“my work is my play cause I’m playin’ when I work.”

Right now in my life this “career” that I have been working on and manipulating to stay working is giving me one hell of a ride. The Highway of Life takes me to many different cities and allows me to meet all kinds of different peeps.

There are many lanes on my highway to success in the form of all kinds of different projects. Sometimes the road is bumpy but I am confident it will lead to where I want (“God blessed the broken road”). I am always around people and work in exciting situations, yet I want more.

I want one thing, the same “one thing” that everyone wants.

My one thing is different than many, and the same as a few. Everyone has that one thing, and we all need to find it. Mine is happiness in giving to many and making others Happy and smile-I want to be a success making others happy and for one small piece of their life forget about their problems…because of something I did.

My one thing would be complete, if I could get a quiet life when not “on”

That is how I will find my one thing. At this ripe young age of 35…I am still searching for my one thing, while I don’t know where the journey will end, I am in the middle of it

“Sometimes the best map will not guide you, sometimes you can’t see what’s round the bend.”

In regards to relationships I have found I do have a type. I have dated fitness competitors, book geeks, smart girls, dumb girls, and yes whores. Some have hurt me
others I have been a real prick too.

Both situations have taught me I don’t want anyone to feel like I have felt nor do I want to intentionally hurt someone. It would be cool to have a super hot model on my arm. But I would rather be with someone who can challenge me mentally, to be a better person, and to feel good just by being around them. I want someone who will allow me to do for them, without taking advantage-and vice versa. I know I am sick of whores, I am tired of drunks. I want someone who I can trust. I want a person I can talk with, share with and do things for. If she is a nice and a good person…I just want the girl next door (not here of course; one is an old married woman the other is a Chinese man). I want a woman who can let me treat her as all women should be treated like gold.

I have also found that someone MAY be perfect for me, I can look past any imperfections, cause they are not imperfections they are just part of a perfect person. The problem is, when you are in a relationship it takes 2 people, each person can be perfect; but if not perfect together, then neither is perfect for the exact time…

“Sure are some proud girls And you can’t tell them nothin’ And I tell you right now girls May just be seven wonders of this big, old round world But how ’bout them cowgirls.”

So my name is known different to many: Matt, Robert, Sexton, “SEX,” DJ, Lil Matty, Boss, A**hole, Coach, Matty Boy, “M,” The guy with the Republican Tattoo,” “The guy in the hat”…the title I like most, is friend.

“I’ve proven who I am so many times, The magnetic strip’s worn thin, And each time I was someone else, And every one was taken in.”

Someday I hope all are names associated with someone who is remembered as a hard worker, who was caring, and who gave back and paid it forward. It would be nice to know I made a positive influence on one person’s life. Those are areas I am working on. Maybe when I look back at 70 I will have a better understanding of the above wish, and have directions on my road to happiness, MAYBE I will have found my “one thing.” MAYBE…in my next 30 years

“I think I’ll take a moment, celebrate my age.
The ending of an era and the turning of a page.
Now it’s time to focus in on where I go from here,
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years. Hey my next thirty years Im gonna have some fun,
Try to forget about all the crazy things Ive done.
Maybe now Ive conquered all my adolescent fears
And Ill do it better in my
next thirty years.
My next thirty years Im gonna settle all the scores,
Cry a little less, laugh a little more.
Find a world of happiness without the hate and fear,
Figure out just what Im doing here.”

I do know that in my past 35 years, I have learned a lot. After just under a decade at The Ohio State University…I learned one thing I hate Math and Spanish. The institution of life has taught me something far greater. Success is not measure in the amount of stuff, measured in the amount of worth, and not measured in the number of people looking up at the stage (at times THANK GOD FOR THE LATTER), success is in the measure of the man. I hope to be huge one day!!!

This day after 35 years, I believe I am complex and scared-but, I believe I am taking those 2 negatives and making them into driving forces for happiness and success. I believe I am not Superman, but I am not an old geezer. While finding acceptance of my age…age is nothing but a number. I also know that every person I have met has helped to form the person I am.

To all the good and bad…thank you! As I get older, there are more physical aches, more bills, the nights get longer and the mornings earlier, while the responsibilities grow

“These days I get up about the time I used to go to bed. Living large was once the deal, Now I watch the stars instead. They’re timeless and predictable, Unlike most things that I do.”

I have come the conclusion that I must work hard, continue to grow as a person, treat others the way I want to be treated, and just DO IT. Without wondering too much. I have to just do what I can and let the Good Lord above…handle it. He knows far more than me, or anyone I might turn to for help!

There are many songs that shape my life (I will list a few of them, however there is one that defines my life…)
I’ve been sittin here
Tryin to find myself
I get behind myself
I need to rewind myself
Lookin for the payback
Listen for the playback
They say that every man bleeds just like me
And I feel like number one
Yet I’m last in line
I take too many pills it helps to ease the pain
I made a couple of dollar bills, but still I feel the same
Everybody knows my name
They say it way out loud
A lot of folks f*** with me
It’s hard to hang out in crowds
I guess that’s the price you pay
To be some big shot like I am
Out stretched hands and one night stands
Still I can’t find love
And when your walls come tumbling down
I will always be around
People don’t know about the things I say and do
They don’t understand about the shit that I’ve been through
It’s been so long since I’ve been home
I’ve been gone, I’ve been gone for way too long
Maybe I forgot all things I miss
Oh somehow I know there’s more to life than this
I said it too many times
And I still stand firm
You get what you put in
And people get what they deserve
Still I ain’t seen mine
No I ain’t seen mine
I’ve been giving just ain’t been gettin
I’ve been walking that there line
So I think I’ll keep a walking
With my head held high
I’ll keep moving on and only God knows why

It will interesting to read this as I grow older not up.

“Im growing older but not up My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck Let those winds of time blow over my head Id rather die while Im living than live while Im dead.”

I have found that as I get older, so do my heroes, or those I look up to. Some have even passed on to the next world. All those I look up to are either due to work ethic, strong opinions, or making others smile and make a living doing so. Some are all of the above.

MY HERO’S
1.) My Grandfather-he pisses me off! I will never be like him yet I will try. He does and has always helped anyone out-even when he knows he will be burned!

2.) Jimmy Buffett-he makes people forget about their problems for that one song, or that one night of a concert. AND MAKES A VERY GOOD LIVING OUT OF IT!

3.) Ted Nugent-Combines all his passions and vents through music. He is my dude! The ONE LONE WOLF Conservative in the entertainment world! Thanx “Uncle” Ted

4.) Francis Albert Sinatra-Did things ‘his way’ and created his own form of entertainment…the ultimate showman. He was Billy Bad A** yet was kind, gentle, and always getting hurt

5.) The Underdogs-those who rise above whatever their limitations…from sports heroes, to business guys, to the kids at the Special Olympics…you work hard you overcome, you get my props!!!

SONGS THAT HIT HOME (while typing this, still private…wanna know why-look up lyrics)
1.) Behind Blue Eyes-The Who
2.) My Way-Frank Sinatra
3.) Pacing the Cage-Jimmy Buffett
4.) Better as a Memory-Kenny Chesney
5.) All the way-Frank Sinatra
6.) Wanted Dead or Alive-Bon Jovi
7.) This Cowboys Hat-Chris Ledoux
8.) Cowboy in Me-Tim McGraw
9.) No Easy Way Out-Survivor
10.) Don’t stop believing-Journey (and no “dude you are not a small town girl comments!”)
One I gotz ta mention “Carmen Ohio”-Buckeye Nation before/after a game. and the song I can’t get out of my head right now is “Need You Now” by Lady A.

So that is me in a blog. Wrapped up with all the good and bad of 34 years. I am still writing my book, and working on a few songs. This was for me, and not whoever is still reading this. I need to put thoughts into writing and what the hell…I am an open book and I will share. Speaking of books…”My Life, shaken, with a twist of fate,” has 5 chapters completed.

Sunset is an angel weeping
Holding out a bloody sword
No matter how I squint I cannot
Make out what it’s pointing toward
Sometimes you feel like you live too long
Days drip slowly on the page
You catch yourself
Pacing the cage
I never knew what you all wanted
So I gave you everything
All that I could pillage
All the spells that I could sing
It’s as if the thing were written
In the constitution of the age
Sooner or later you’ll wind up
Pacing the cage
Sometimes the best map will not guide you
You can’t see what’s round the bend
Sometimes the road leads through dark places
Sometimes the darkness is your friend

Today these eyes scan bleached-out land
For the coming of the outbound stage
Pacing the cage

On all my gigs I play “Hang on Sloopy” and make a reference about being at The Ohio State University the “10 best years of my life.” On New Years Eve 2010 Dr. Petrik, pulled me to the side and made a great comment-he put his finger in my chest and said “those were not the best days of your life-this day forward will be the best days of your life.” I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT, THANX DOC!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME/RANT:
I had a potential client text me after 9pm ON A SUNDAY NIGHT. That is not all that bad, the real problem was I SPOKE to him on Friday, and TEXT him on Friday. Told him I was out of town and not feeling well. Told him I would follow up on Monday. HE THEN TEXTS ME AT A TIME I WOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER CALLING A CLIENT?!?!? I give respect, and don’t have much time for “me.” I wish some clients would learn this. FOLLOW UP: He invaded my personal time and then decides he could not afford me. THANX FOR THE WASTED TIME!!!

WEATHER:
HEY AL GORE, HOW’S THAT GLOBAL WARMING THEORY GOING-AT LEAST YOU GOT AN OSCAR FOR YOUR DOCUMENTARY OF MADE UP FACTS-YOU ARE IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS MICHAEL MOORE!!!
February snow sets city record
By Kevin Sanchez

The four snowstorms that blasted Columbus last month accumulated 30.1 inches of snow, breaking a 100-year record for total snowfall in the month of February in the city.
The previous record was set in 1910 when 29.2 inches of snow fell that month.

The city neared the record on Monday, Feb. 15, when a storm system dumped 9.7 inches of snow, the most snow ever recorded in Columbus on that day. That storm pushed the city’s monthly snowfall to 25.4 inches.

But the 1910 record remained unbroken until Friday, when flurries dropped 2.2 inches of snow. More snowfall on Saturday pushed the total over the 30-inch mark, said National Weather Service representative John Franks.

In 2003, the third-highest mark was set with 24.4 total inches, followed by 19.6 inches in 1914 and 16.4
in 1979 to round out the five heaviest snowfalls in February.

After Sunday, the new February record has officially been set at 30.1 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

The ice, rain and snow that have blasted Columbus this winter caused their share of traffic accidents, as well as the closing of almost every school in the Columbus area at some point in time.

Ohio State remained open during the majority of the storms, but classes were canceled on Feb. 16. OSU resumed the next day.

As March begins, there are only 21 days until the first official day of spring. It is unclear when the spring sunshine will begin and the snow will cease.
The National Weather Service forecast for Columbus predicts chances of snow flurries until Wednesday and the possibility of partly sunny skies on Thursday.

SOCIAL NETWORKING:
I still have 3 slots left to handle any business, group, or organization social networking. Social Networking is a FREE Chance to keep in contact with your clients, or donors. Ask me how I have increased revenues and NAME ID for several organizations.

ARNOLD WEEKEND:
…and for the first time in over 15 years, I will not be attending! I am in Kansas City with PBR This weekend

Business caters to strongman trade
By Josh Jarman
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

“It started at that point, with us asking, ‘Where do you get this stuff?'” he said of the equipment used in the competitions.

Slater made some of the gear for shows in Lancaster, and soon one of his employees came up with the idea for a plastic mold that could be used to make the concrete spheres known as Atlas stones, an iconic part of strongman competitions worldwide.

The concrete orbs range from 8-inch, 23-pound stones to a 24-inch monster that weighs 586 pounds. They come out of the mold with a smooth finish, which Slater said adds to the drama of the event for spectators.

“The stone is fighting you the whole way,” he said. “You can see how much effort a lifter has to exude to pick one of these up.”

As the sport has become more popular, the equipment has become more available, but Slaters has found its niche both in the lightweight molds that can be
shipped overseas and its real wood logs for the overhead press. Most competitions use a steel “log,” but Slater said his rope-wrapped wood logs invoke the barbarian style of the World’s Strongest Man competitions of the early ’80s.

Terry Todd, director of the Arnold Strongman Classic, said Slater was an indispensible part of the strongman competition and has been important to the event’s success since its inception.

In addition to developing a new world-record-weight Atlas stone for each year’s competition, Slater assembles a group of local lifters who help set up and tear down the equipment for the event.

“I think if we didn’t have Steve, we’d have to have three additional people to do what he does,” Todd said.

“It started at that point, with us asking, ‘Where do you get this stuff?'” he said of the equipment used in the competitions.
Slater made some of the gear for shows in Lancaster, and soon one of his employees came up with the idea for a plastic mold that could be used to make the concrete spheres known as Atlas stones, an iconic part of strongman competitions worldwide.

The concrete orbs range from 8-inch, 23-pound stones to a 24-inch monster that weighs 586 pounds. They come out of the mold with a smooth finish, which Slater said adds to the drama of the event for spectators.

“The stone is fighting you the whole way,” he said. “You can see how much effort a lifter has to exude to pick one of these up.”

As the sport has become more popular, the equipment has become more available, but Slaters has found its niche both in the lightweight molds that can be shipped overseas and its real wood logs for the overhead press. Most competitions use a steel “log,” but Slater said his rope-wrapped wood logs invoke the barbarian style of the World’s Strongest Man competitions of the early ’80s.

Terry Todd, director of the Arnold Strongman Classic, said Slater was an indispensible part of the strongman competition and has been important to the event’s success since its inception.

In addition to developing a new world-record-weight Atlas stone for each year’s competition, Slater assembles a group of local lifters who help set up and tear down the equipment for the event.

“I think if we didn’t have Steve, we’d have to have three additional people to do what he does,” Todd said.

SPORTS:
We had this conversation as the kids rushed the court on Tuesday at The Ohio State vs Illinois game. KIDS QUIT RUSHING!!!

Rush to Rush
By Rick Reilly
ESPN The Magazine
Listen, you Froyo freaks, you face-painters, you hoopheads of higher learning: Before you rush the court, storm the court, wreck the court … rush your butts back to your seats while I explain something.

You’re doing it WAY too much.

This isn’t karaoke Tuesdays. It’s not a scheduled event. True rushing the court happens to a school once every 20 years or so. It should be, “Oh, there’s Professor Krumpke. Let’s have him tell us about the time he rushed the court.” It’s like walking down the aisle: If you do it more than twice in your life, you’re doing it wrong.

It’s spontaneous, like a flash flood. It’s unpredictable, like Publishers Clearing House showing up at your front door. It’s as unstoppable as a sneeze and just as unplanned. It carries you away like a tornado. You suddenly find yourself on top of the rim and have no idea how you got there.

You people are treating it like it’s your weekly Spanish lab. Or poker night. You can’t e-mail about it ahead of time. It’d be like penciling into your calendar “Make out with Halle Berry tonight after winning Oscar.” And it can’t be something to do just to get on TV. You wanna be on TV, go bother Matt Lauer.

I’m talking to you, Indiana. You rushed the court this season after beating Minnesota. Minnesota? Really? How is beating Minnesota cause for unrestrainable joy? It’s like pantsing the chess club.

I’m talking to you, South Carolina. You RTC’d after beating Kentucky both this season and in 2005. It’s supposed to be “Hats in the air! War’s over!” Not “I really want a picture next to John Wall!”

I’m talking to you, Illinois. You RTC’d when you beat No. 5 Michigan State this year. Even Illinois legend Dee Brown was cringing. He tweeted: “No no no no! … We are Illinois! Winning should be normal.”

Sorry, Dee. Illinois has a new motto: “We are Illinois! We really like to pregame!”

I’m definitely talking to you, Wake Forest. You RTC’d when you beat North Carolina last season. They were third in the nation. You were fourth. What’s going to make you storm the floor next? New nets?

This has got to stop. Therefore, here are the Ironclad and Unbreakable Rushing-the-Court Rules. From now on, you can NOT rush the court if …

• You’ve won an NCAA title in the past 20 years.

• You’ve been in the Final Four in the past five years.

• The team you just beat is not in the top three.

• Or is ranked within 15 rungs of you. (Somebody do the math for Wake.)

• Or is really a football school. This includes Florida, Texas and Ohio State. Get over it.

• You’ve beaten this same team in the past five years.

• You won the stupid game by more than 10 points. There is no such thing as a PRTC (Premeditated Rush The Court.)

• You’re a university and you just beat a college.

• Coach K comes to your coach’s clinic.

• You have a dead-mortal-lock lottery pick on your team.

• Your team has appeared in a recent “One Shining Moment.”

I don’t want to hear “It was a signature win!” I’m not signing off on it. I don’t want to hear “It was the first time we’ve beaten a top-10 RPI team in six seasons.” If it’s a stat your mother wouldn’t know, forget it. Nor will I stand for “It clinched our spot in the NCAA tournament.” Big deal. Sixty-five teams make it. It’s like making the white pages. Cheer from your seat.

Now we understand here at the Court of Court Rushing that there are occasionally unusual circumstances. Therefore, here are the Official Amendments to the Ironclad and Unbendable Rushing-the-Court Rules. You can rush the court if:

• Your arena is closing down forever after the game. That will happen this week at Freedom Hall in Louisville and Mac Court in Oregon. Fine. Dig up the boards, too. Take the chairs. Knock yourselves out.

• Something stupidly wonderful happens, like a 90-foot David Blaine Special goes in or an air ball bounces off the ref’s head to win your conference. Fine.

• You are Wisconsin-Milwaukee and you are 0-37 against your cross-city rival Marquette. When you win, you should rush the court, then City Hall, then the Miller factory.

• It’s the first time you’ve beaten your archrival in 10 years or more, plus one of the following: (1) they still have your goat, (2) they stole and painted your best physics professor, or (3) they’re going to end up making PILES more cash than you.

• Jihadists have kidnapped your power forward and are holding him captive near the key.
Finally, if you are in compliance with the Ironclad and Unbreakable Rules, make sure at least three of you hoist the center. Otherwise you’ll drop him, causing him to rip a rotator cuff and, consequently, miss the rest of the year. Then people will egg your dorm room until you graduate, which will be never because every professor will hate you, too.

Now get out there and remain seated!

KILLER WALES AREN’T THE ONLY ONES WITH PROBLEMS:
Manatees are one of my favorite animals (Elephants and Dolphins the other two)
Death in the wild
Manatee release defended
By Kathy Lynn Gray
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Winter cold recently killed one former Columbus Zoo and Aquarium manatee and hospitalized another, but zoo officials still believe in the federal program to rescue and release the gentle mammals.

“The objective is to get them back into the wild where they can reproduce,” said Doug Warmolts, assistant director of living collections at the Columbus Zoo. “Once they’re out there, they’re subject to all the threats an everyday manatee has.”

Gene, a Columbus Zoo manatee from 1999 to 2005, died last month from cold stress brought on by an unusually long spell of cold temperatures in Florida. He’d been released there three years ago after living in captivity for 30 years.
Another former Columbus manatee, Hurricane, was suffering from cold stress when he was captured in late December and put into a manatee “hospital” at Sea World. He recovered and was released back into the wild Tuesday.

The federal government spends millions each year on manatee rescue and release in an attempt to keep the endangered species from becoming extinct. The government’s partners often put up their own cash, with the Columbus Zoo spending about $125,000 a year for each manatee it houses.

“It’s an enormous amount of money,” agreed Nicole Adimey, coordinator of the federal program. “But I think it’s a very successful program.”
Since the program started in 1973, an estimated 1,032 manatees have been rescued, Adimey said.

About half were released back into the wild almost immediately, and 289 were released after rehabilitation at one of the program’s 11 centers. Of those, 107 were released with monitoring devices. Six of those manatees did not succeed in the wild, 66 were successful, and results of 35 are inconclusive, she said.
Rehabilitation is successful, Adimey said, if the released manatee adapts to life in the wild for more than a year. That includes migrating into warmer, inland waters during colder months, something manatees in lengthy captivity must learn from the wild companions around them.

Gene and Hurricane had done that in the past, Warmolts said. But this year, Gene was among about 200 manatees – 190 more than normal – killed by the cold in the first six weeks of the year.

Adimey said the rehabilitation program doesn’t make up for the many manatees killed by watercraft – the biggest threat to the mammals – but it offsets those deaths to some extent. The hope is that rehabilitated manatees that are released also add to the population by reproducing.

Warmolts said Gene often was observed traveling with mating groups and is believed to have produced offspring.

“He was able to spend time at the end of his life as a wild manatee, and his genetic material is in the population,” Warmolts said. “In my book, that’s worth it.”
Not everyone agrees.

Some activists and Florida politicians lobbied the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in December to delay the release of two manatees from Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park along the west-central Florida coast. The two had lived much of their lives in captivity and had been hand-fed mostly human food.

Florida state Sen. Mike Fasano said the manatees should stay where they are rather than be returned to the wild where they could die.

“You can’t all of a sudden send them out after they’ve been captive so long,” the senator said.
The release is now on hold for a year while the wildlife service reviews it.

GOVERNMENT:
IT’S ABOUT TIME, I DON’T EVEN USE THE MAIL-ONLY CHECK ONCE A WEEK!
Put US Postal Service with Beta, and Fax machines.

Postal Service Seeks Permission to End Saturday Delivery
FOXNews.com
Postmaster General John Potter said Tuesday that he intends to seek congressional approval to cut Saturday delivery as part of a wide-ranging plan to close a multi-billion dollar budget gap.

Postmaster General John Potter said Tuesday that he intends to seek congressional approval to cut Saturday delivery as part of a wide-ranging plan to close a multi-billion dollar budget gap.

Though the idea of cutting service from six to five days has gotten a cool reception on Capitol Hill, Potter said that the plan would include enough flexibility so that customers who need Saturday service can get it and that this and other changes need to be implemented for the Postal Service to survive.

“We built a plan that we think is very reasonable. … We intend to pursue that,” he said. “It’s a move that we simply have to make.”

The financially struggling Postal Service is trying to find ways to get out of the red without resorting to taxpayer aid. Potter announced Tuesday that the service could lose a staggering $7 billion this year — losses attributed to a combination of the recession and the predominance of e-mail and other electronic forms of communication.
It is estimated that cutting Saturday delivery, a move that requires congressional permission, could save $3.5 billion a year.

Potter said the Postal Service, aside from trying to cut down service days, would also use price increases in “moderation” to close the budget gap as well as pursue other changes. He urged regulators to act quickly in helping the Postal Service implement those changes and expressed optimism that the service could eventually get above water.
Though he said privatization had been on the table during a lengthy internal review, that option appeared to be ruled out. One consultant, Thomas Dohrmann from McKinsey & Company, said privatization was “unlikely” in part because it would be hard to find a buyer.

“We need to rethink everything and every approach to move the Postal Service forward,” Potter said. “We need to reinvest, redefine and reinvigorate the value of mail to business and households.”

The Postal Service posted $3.8 billion in losses last year. Mail volume was down 13 percent, a decline officials say will continue.
Potter said mail volume went from 213 billion pieces in 2006 to a projected 166 billion pieces in fiscal 2010.

FINACE:
Rules That Warren Buffett Lives By
by Stephanie Loiacono
Warren Buffett is arguably the world’s greatest stock investor. He’s also a bit of a philosopher. He pares down his investment ideas into simple, memorable sound bites. Do you know what his homespun sayings really mean? Does his philosophy hold up in today’s difficult environment? Find out below.

“Rule No. 1: Never Lose Money. Rule No. 2: Never Forget Rule No. 1.”

Buffett personally lost about $23 billion in the financial crisis of 2008, and his company, Berkshire Hathaway, lost its revered AAA ratings. So how can he tell us to never lose money?

He’s referring to the mindset of a sensible investor. Don’t be frivolous. Don’t gamble. Don’t go into an investment with a cavalier attitude that it’s OK to lose. Be informed. Do your homework. Buffett invests only in companies he thoroughly researches and understands. He doesn’t go into an investment prepared to lose, and neither should you.
Buffett believes the most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect. A successful investor doesn’t focus on being with or against the crowd.
The stock market will swing up and down. But in good times and bad, Buffett stays focused on his goals. So should we. (This esteemed investor rarely changes his long-term investing strategy no matter what the market does.

“If The Business Does Well, the Stock Eventually Follows”
The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham convinced Buffett that investing in a stock equates to owning a piece of the business. So when he searches for a stock to invest in, Buffett seeks out businesses that exhibit favorable long-term prospects. Does the company have a consistent operating history? Does it have a dominant business franchise? Is the business generating high and sustainable profit margins? If the company’s share price is trading below expectations for its future growth, then it’s a stock Buffett may want to own.

Buffett never buys anything unless he can write down his reasons why he’ll pay a specific price per share for a particular company. Do you do the same?

“It’s Far Better to Buy a Wonderful Company at a Fair Price Than a Fair Company at a Wonderful Price”
Buffett is a value investor who likes to buy quality stocks at rock-bottom prices. His real goal is to build more and more operating power for Berkshire Hathaway by owning stocks that will generate solid profits and capital appreciation for years to come. When the markets reeled during the recent financial crisis, Buffett was stockpiling great long-term investments by investing billions in names like General Electric and Goldman Sachs.

To pick stocks well, investors must set down criteria for uncovering good businesses, and stick to their discipline. You might, for example, seek companies that offer a durable product or service and also have solid operating earnings and the germ for future profits. You might establish a minimum market capitalization you’re willing to accept, and a maximum P/E ratio or debt level. Finding the right company at the right price — with a margin for safety against unknown market risk — is the ultimate goal.
Remember, the price you pay for a stock isn’t the same as the value you get. Successful investors know the difference.

“Our Favorite Holding Period Is Forever”
How long should you hold a stock? Buffett says if you don’t feel comfortable owning a stock for 10 years, you shouldn’t own it for 10 minutes. Even during the period he called the “Financial Pearl Harbor,” Buffett loyally held on to the bulk of his portfolio.

Unless a company has suffered a sea change in prospects, such as impossible labor problems or product obsolescence, a long holding period will keep an investor from acting too human. That is, being too fearful or too greedy can cause investors to sell stocks at the bottom or buy at the peak — and destroy portfolio appreciation for the long run.
You may think the recent financial meltdown changed things, but don’t be fooled: those unfussy sayings from the Oracle of Omaha still RULE!

HEALTH:
Been told this is what I had in Nashville
Norovirus cases increase across London
Norovirus is highly contagious
Cases of the winter sickness bug, norovirus, have shown a significant increase in London since the start of the year, the NHS has reported.

The NHS and Health Protection Agency (HPA) have reported 244 outbreaks in the capital rising from 42 in December but many cases have gone unreported.
The virus tends to last one to two days causing nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting.

It remains infectious 48-hours after symptoms have stopped and can be easily passed from person-to-person.
The NHS has said people who have contracted the sickness should stay at home to prevent it spreading.

Sufferers have also been advised to take over-the-counter remedies, drink plenty of fluids and let the illness run its own course.
Dr Brian McCloskey, Director of the HPA in London, said: “London continues to be hit by norovirus as we move through the winter months with a surge in outbreaks since the new year.

“Personal hygiene must also be good so make sure you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating and after going to the toilet.”

HEALTH:
I would like to point out I have dropped 20 pounds since Febuary 20th. I am weighing in at just under 175 pounds. My runs are getting longer (and pace is increasing). Recently I ran an equivelant of a half marathon. The good thing for me, I am leaning out and have not lost much of my size, and NONE OF MY STRENGTH! While I am being conscious of what I eat, I basically eat whatever I want. MY SECRET? Products from Visalus! To learn more on how you can get your weight under control, lose weight, and JUST BE HEALTHIER, plus have the chance to make an extra income…www.sexton.bodybyvi.com Or http://www.sexton.visalusgiving.com

OSU BUCKEYE NEWS:
Ohio State’s season-opener for the 2014 football season will be Aug. 30 vs. Navy at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore

QUOTES:
“Find out who you are and be that person. That’s what your soul was put on this earth to be. Find that truth, live that truth, and everything else will come.” Ellen Degeneres

Quote of the night from the Winter Olympics closing ceremony…”The always enjoyable giant inflatable beaver.” (Come on Canada you are making it too easy!)

The man who says he is willing to meet you halfway is usually a poor judge of distance. ~ Unknown Author (think this should be geared towards a woman and I hope we do “meet halfway”)

A conceited person never gets anywhere because he thinks he’s already there..
Fame and fortune do not build success… character does, so be careful what you do today you may have to pay for it tomorrow.

If you play the game off life, you’ll have many wins & loses. regardless of ur talent level – D.Dyer
Lifes like a mirror,, Just because u break or ignore the mirror doesn’t mean ur reflection will change.

“Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.”
You can have everything in life that you want if you just give enough other ppl in life what they want -(Ziglar)

MUSIC NEWS:
45th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS nominations announced

ALL WEEKEND:
Arnold Sports Festival takes over Downtown Columbus. This is my second favorite event of the year (AND I AM OUT OF TOWN!!!). If a pro, amateur, or looking for motivation to get started on your own personal fitness-this is a must attend event. PLUS the largest collection of sporting events in the world from Weight-Lifting, to Cheer-leading, and from Skateboarding to Ping-Pong. For more info http://www.arnoldsportsfestival.com

Broadway Across America-Columbus presents 101 Dalmatians at The Palace Theatre. Disney bring the magic of the cartoon to the stage with a award winning production and REAL Dogs! For more info http://www.broadwayacrossamerica.com

Central Ohio Home & Garden Show allows even my own dad to think he is Bob Villa. The Tradition continues this year all weekend at the Ohio State Fairgrounds. For more info http://www.dispatchevents.com

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is giving the kids an opportunity to be the first to see “Barbie In A Mermaid Tale Movie.” For showtimes and more info http://www.columbuszoo.org

IN THEATERS:
Tim Burton ruins yet another childhood concept this time he and Johnny Depp team up in ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ rated “PG.” This movie MAY be ok for the kids but adults may find more humor in the underlining themes.

DVD:
The end of the world disaster movie, ‘2010’ starring John Cusack, and Amanda Peet rated “PG-13″

ONE OF MY FAVORITES FROM LAST YEAR!!! ‘Where The Wild Things Are.’ Spike Jonze Brings the Characters from a great Children’s Book to life. However, while anyone who grew up with the book WILL CHERISH THIS MOVIE (like I do), it may be a little slow for the kids. “Wild” is rated “PG.”

NEW MUSIC:
Easton Corbin is “a little more country” on his self tittled debute

American Idol finalist, Danny Gokey, releases “My Best Days”

Shooter Jennings & Hierophant release “Black Ribbons”

You sang along now get the album, Blake Shelton releases “Hillbilly Bone”

For St Patrick’s Day in Columbus, Fado Irish Pub has a week long schedule of events. The biggest St Patrick’s Day party gets bigger each year and advance tickets are on sale now! Get your 2 Day Pass now and save big bucks.

We have the best mix of Irish music and Irish entertainment throughout the course of the St Patrick’s Day Festival 2010.
Here’s what we have planned:

Session On.

Wednesday, March 10
Guinness Perfect Pint Contest. With serious bragging rights at stake, this competition gives the local pubs a chance to prove who pours the best pints! Prizes galore. 7:00 PM start time.

Friday, March 12
Bailey’s Irish Cream Sampling Event. With John Andrews performing live and a chance to sample the smoothest cream liquor in the world, only a fool would make other plans on this night. 7:00pm start.

Saturday, March 13 – The Premier St Patrick’s Tent Party in Columbus begins!
A day long festival outside in our large, heated tent. Save and buy tickets online at http://www.FadoIrishPub.com/Columbus. Arrive before 5pm and beat the $10 cover charge.
It’s a full day kicking off with our St Baldrick’s Charity Event from 1pm-4pm. Shave your head and help find a cure for childhood cancer. Come down and show your support for a great cause.

A big day out at Fadó wouldn’t be complete without a lot of great live music. DJ Matt Sexton kicks off the stage with Live music begining at 3:30pm and offers something for everyone with the likes of Blood, Sweat, and Beers, traditional Irish Dancers, and Get in the Van. You’ll wrap up your outdoor festival experience with The Menus headlining.
Sunday, March 14

Get here early for Live Six Nations Rugby with France taking on Italy and all the English Premier League Soccer you can handle- see website for start times. Soak up the best
sporting atmosphere in the city with a perfect pint of Guinness and a delicious Fadó Brunch.

Monday, March 15
Special St Patrick’s Day Pub Quiz. Quiz starts at 8pm, but why not get here for 6pm and show some love for our special guest bartenders from the Shamrock Club and Daughters of Erin.

Tuesday, March 16
What better way to warm up for the session of the year than hours of great Live Music and entertainment.
Matt Sexton starts the Pre-Green Party at 5:30pm, with The Drowsy Lads will kick things off at 6:00 PM, followed by The Milennium School’s own Irish Dancers at

Doors open at 7AM for Kegs and Eggs. A St Patrick’s Day tradition at Fadó , not to be missed! DJ Matt Sexton will be spinning the hits all day.
Live Music kicks off at 9am with Blood, Sweat, and Beers, Homeland at 1:00 PM, Katie’s Irish Dancers at 3:00 PM, Mother Trucker Duo at 3:30 PM, Soul Kitch’n at 5.30 PM, The Websters at 7:30pm and Swagg will headline your 2010 St Paddy’s party at 9:30 PM .

Of course, no St Patrick’s Day would be complete without the proper Irish food and Irish drink. Fado Irish Pub features the best Guinness in Columbus, other great Irish beers like Harp, Smithwicks and Kilkenny, proper Irish coffees, Baileys Irish cream, and of course a wide selection of Irish whiskeys.

Looking for Irish food? Just because there isn’t an Irish restaurant on every block doesn’t mean we don’t have a fine Irish food tradition. All of our Irish recipes are prepared from scratch: corned beef and cabbage, the traditional Irish boxty and Irish pub favorites like Fish & Chips. We will confidently tell you we have the best Irish food in Columbus.
Safe to say there’s no better St Patrick’s Day pub in Columbus. Additional details will be coming soon, so sign up for our St Patrick’s Day 2010 email here to get the latest!
Slainte-
M

APRIL 15, Lima Company Going Away Party at Frog Bear Wild Boar Bar-Details to Follow

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